DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept 2 (NNN-SANA) – The cease-fire that was declared recently by the Syrian army, in the last major rebel stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib is “temporary,” Syria’s presidential adviser, Buthaina Shabaan, said.
He said, the Turkish army, which entered parts of Idlib, will be “forced” to leave Syria.
On Friday, the Syrian army agreed to observe a cease-fire in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country, as of Saturday morning.
The Syrian army said, it reserves the right to respond to any violation by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, the backbone of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is the most powerful rebel group in Idlib.
Hours ahead of the official Syrian announcement, Russia’s Defence Ministry declared the cease-fire, noting that, it is a “unilateral” move to stabilise the situation in Idlib. It urged the rebels to abandon armed provocations and join the peace process.
This is the second truce announced in Idlib this month. On Aug 1, a Russian and Turkish-backed cease-fire was reached but it quickly collapsed.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, cautious calm prevailed in Idlib, Saturday. However, the Britain-based watchdog group said, the Syrian army fired tens of shells on rebel positions on Sunday.– NNN-SANA
