New displacement | People of  Jabal Al-Zawyiah flee their areas for fear of expected military operation

Several villages in Jabal Al-Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib experience a new wave of civilians’ displacement. This displacement comes in the wake of the significant developments on the ground in the past few days in the “de-escalation zone”, after the relative calm in the area since the recent ceasefire came into effect on March 5.

 

The recent developments included the escalation of rocket attacks by regime forces, ongoing military reinforcement and build-up by all conflicting parties (regime forces, Turkish forces, opposition factions and jihadi groups), statement by opposition factions announcing villages in eastern Jabal Al-Zawiyah a military zone, and the return of Russian airstrikes.

 

All of these development ignited popular concerns of the return of military operations to the “de-escalation zone”, especially Jabal Al-Zawiyah where shelling, clashes and reinforcement were concentrated. Such developments pushed tens of families to displace once again to safer places and refugee camps away from the contested areas.

 

SOHR sources have just reported that Russian jets carried out a new round of airstrikes on the “de-escalation zone” in the early hours of Wednesday morning, targeting places in the area between Al-Qarqur and the Power Plant area in Sahl Al-Ghab in the north-western Hama with four raids.

 

No casualties were reported. It is worth noting that it has been the second attack of its kind since the recent ceasefire in the “de-escalation zone” came into effect.

 

SOHR sources said yesterday evening that Russian jets bombarded Kabana area in the north-east Latakia countryside for the first time since the new ceasefire came into effect.