DAMASCUS, Syria, May 18 (NNN-SANA) – As many as 25 air strikes targeted rebel positions in northern Syria Friday, as part of the ongoing military campaign to defeat the ultra-radical militants in their last strongholds, a war monitor reported.
The air strikes targeted the positions of the rebels in the countryside of Hama and Idlib provinces, as well as, the mountainous areas in the countryside of Latakia province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
This comes as clashes renewed on Friday, between the Syrian army and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, in the countryside areas of Idlib and Hama provinces.
The Syrian government said, the attacks are a response to the rebels’ attacks and infiltration attempts into Syrian military sites in that region.
Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria and is now controlled by the HTS.
Areas in Hama, Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo are included in the deescalation zones deal, which was reached between Russia and Turkey in Sept, 2018.
The deal failed to materialise as the HTS expanded in Idlib and started attacks on Syrian military positions, instead of withdrawing from the designated zone, which combines Idlib with Hama and the Aleppo countryside.– NNN-SANA
