144 municipal councils were formed, offering a wide range of services from managing bakeries to maintaining roads and collecting rubbish. From a Yemini missile attack to the assassination of the supreme commander QassimSoleimani, the political, ideological and religious differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia are taking the path of confrontation. However, Russian air support allowed pro-government forces to eventually repel rebel ground elements and recapture the town. UNSC has asked Israel to withdraw many times and has passed a number of resolutions demanding this. The Syrian Army captured the villages of Barsah and Nouhiya, located west of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase. [288], Amid the sudden escalation, the United States expressed support for Turkey and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told media following the North Atlantic Council meeting—requested by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding Washington Treaty—that NATO continued to support Turkey with a range of measures, "including by augmenting its air defences". [271][289] Turkey further escalated regional tensions when it threatened to open its borders with Europe to allow Syrian refugees to leave, prompting Greece and Bulgaria to tighten border security. Since mid-20th century the conflict has been referred to as the ‘most intractable conflict’ in the world with the ongoing... Modern-day global and domestic politics have set forth the trend that has legitimized and rationalized the use of religion as... Cyprus conflict has been regarded as one of the conflicts that are so far difficult to find a resolution for... Bhashan Char, situated in the district of Noakhali, is one of the 75 islands of Bangladesh. [126] The army reported a breakthrough in the Rashideen 5 suburb of Aleppo and advanced toward Rashideen 4, stating this advance was the first major SAA breakthrough on the previously deadlocked Aleppo front. This cold war also resembles the original one., because it is also fueled by a blend of ideological conviction and brute power politics but at the same time unlike the original cold war, the middle eastern cold war is multi-dimensional and is more likely to escalate .it is more volatile and thus more prone to transformation. But for all sides the benefits should outweigh the downsides. [394] By 17 February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the Northwestern Syria offensive since December has displaced 900,000 people. [240][241] Turkish forces responded with rocket shelling on government positions. [85] The offensive that began in December 2019 was aimed at reopening the highways to civilian traffic, as well as the final elimination of rebel control over the territory. In the midst of the global pandemic, when all the economic activities are at halt, the tensions between the two arch rivals will prove hazardous and will yield catastrophic results. SOHR and al-Masdar reported that National Front for Liberation and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces, backed by the Turkish military, recaptured Nayrab from the SAA after eight hours and three waves of attacks[243][244] while Turkish sources attributed the recapture to NFL, saying that the Iranian-backed militias and government forces defending the town took "many" casualties. [204][405] On 12 February, Islamic Relief reported that 15 medical facilities it supported had been damaged or fully destroyed, at least 55 sites where they distributed food recorded 428 nearby airstrikes near these locations, and 90% of staff in Idlib had been forcibly displaced. [355], On the morning of 5 March, opposition sources and The Independent reported a major Russian airstrike on an IDP camp near Maarrat Misrin, killing at least 15. [377], A Russian military delegation visited Ankara on 10 March to discuss implementation of the security corridor. [citation needed] Meanwhile, Russian-Turkish talks in Ankara concluded after three hours with no progress made. Cyprus conflict: How could be Resolved and Reunified? Turkish media reported a total of 15 violations in the first day. The most recent example includes the eviction of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah. Hezbollah later confirmed eight of the deaths, including an Iranian cleric identified as Sayyed Ali Zengani, while pro-government media also reported Hezbollah deaths. [259], While government forces made territorial gains in southern Idlib and northern Hama, opposition factions with support from Turkish elements had counterattacked on a separate front towards Saraqib and, on the dawn of 27 February, fully recaptured the strategic city and cut the Damascus-Aleppo M5 highway once again. [273][274][265][275] Meanwhile, Reuters cited witnesses as saying the government resumed airstrikes on residential areas of Idlib city the same evening. Share. [384], After a period of calm, the government and Turkey both sent reinforcements to the area in late May and early June. A Syrian military source was cited as saying army units were redeployed to the area and eventually repelled the attacks "with high efficiency". More than 200 Muslims offering prayer have been targeted and hit by rubber bullets and a score of attackers themselves were wounded. Once again many statements have been given by the international community condemning the actions not finding the solution to end this. Civil defense personnel, also known as White Helmets, sterilize a mosque in the city of Idlib, northwestern Syria, where three new cases of coronavirus were registered on July 15, 2020. The joint rebel offensive was ultimately repelled. According to an activist, the helicopter was shot down after dropping two barrel bombs. The tensions escalated or in other words almost tended to turn into scuffles when in 2016, the Iranians stormed the Saudi embassy as a demonstration of the killing of a Shia cleric. [293], On 29 February, Turkish-backed rebels recaptured several villages in al-Ghab plain, reversing recent government gains. While considering the Israel-Palestine conflict one might comprehend this issue as a failure of the international system to maintain peace. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In October 2020, as the media reported Russia’s Aerospace forces resuming their strikes against the local armed opposition, Turkey relocating its observation posts, and Syrian militants fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, the global community once again turned its attention to the events in Idlib. [73][60] Rebel forces stated that they had found the pilot's dead body,[339] while the Syrian Army later stated that they had recovered the pilot in good health after conducting a CSAR operation 2 kilometers behind rebel lines. [147] On the same day, pro-government warplanes reportedly targeted al-Huda Hospital in the town of Hoor in the western countryside of Aleppo, destroying large parts of the building. At first glance, like the territory of the Kurds’ Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Idlib seems to have formed a military conflict economy existing in parallel with the official Syrian economy controlled by the Syrian government. [297][312][298], Meanwhile, in Beirut, thousands of mourners attended the burial of five of the Hezbollah fighters killed in Idlib on 28 February[313][314] while pro-government sources reported that Hezbollah was reinforcing Syrian troops on the Saraqib front and was reportedly approaching Nayrab. [299] On the same day, according to Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency, Turkish forces targeted the Nayrab military airport and allegedly rendered it unusable. [149], On 2 February, fighting was reported between HTS and the LDF-affiliated Iranian-backed Baqir Brigade in the Aleppo countryside, in which a Brigade commander, Juma al Ahmad, was reported killed. [406], Schools have also been targeted. [225] The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had been killed and five wounded due to an airstrike during the assault,[226] while also claiming the Turkish-backed rebels killed 50 Syrian government forces during the overall battle for the town. About sharing. [82], Following Syrian government victories in 2018 during the siege of Eastern Ghouta, the Southern Damascus offensive, and the completion of rebel evacuations from eastern Qalamoun—which partially concluded the government's Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign—parts of northwestern Syria in the Idlib and Aleppo Governorates became the only significant opposition-controlled territory. Most IDP movements from Idlib during 2019 were to Aleppo governorate (around 285 000). Western governments, to say nothing of the local population, are sceptical, given the Syrian government’s hostility towards the province’s inhabitants. [220][221][222] After heavy fighting,[219] the rebels managed to briefly seize Nayrab. Fighters of the Syrian National Army loyal to the Syrian Interim Government (concentrated in Aleppo) and some 20,000 fighters aligned with the internationally proscribed terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and loyal to the Syrian Salvation Government (concentrated in Idlib - see National Front for Liberation–Tahrir al-Sham conflict) held out against the government and its allies, with a civilian population of three million living in the area. [247] In turn, rebel fighters reportedly recaptured the villages of San and Ma'arat Alia west of Saraqib. [106] Russia reported that 17 Syrian soldiers were killed. 2 March 2020 ; Reporting Idlib, from a home under fire ... IDLIB, Syria. ... Leader in al-Sham Corps killed in eastern Idlib, and trade fire between rebel factions and regime forces in southern ... 2020 . [376] Turkey described this as a "small violation" of the ceasefire. Russia will know that Western actors will respond to failure by unilaterally channelling non-UN legitimised aid into the country via Turkey. According to SOHR, pro-government forces were besieging Ma'arrat al-Nu'man from three sides and had captured 22 areas since 24 January; SOHR recorded 91 deaths among pro-government forces and 112 among the rebels, including 89 jihadists, since 24 January. [347] Turkish sources also reported opposition advances in the Zawiya mountains. Information about Turkey’s efforts to form an alliance in Idlib that would include the “Syrian Corps” and other NFL elements, as well as “constructive” ones from the HTS has been leaked on a website with ties to the Syrian opposition, and this information should be considered in the same context. The alternative—bilateral cross-border support—will not sufficiently meet needs on the ground, will place even greater responsibility on Turkey, and will increase the prospect of Western confrontation with Russia and the Syrian regime. [277] In contrast to Turkish numbers, the SOHR reported that 34 Syrian soldiers and 14 Hezbollah fighters (10 Lebanese nationals and four of other nationalities, including at least one Iranian) and an officer of the IRGC were killed by the Turkish counterattack. [29], On 23 December, the Syrian army advanced further, completely surrounding the Turkish observation point near Sarman[110] and capturing Jarjnaz, considered the largest town in the eastern countryside of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man. Syrie : « Nul n’imagine les souffrances des déplacés d’Idlib » Les forces du régime syrien ont pénétré dans la ville stratégique de Maarat Al-Noman, dans la province rebelle d’Idlib. [119], The government offensive was condemned by world leaders, including United States president Donald Trump, who tweeted that "Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province. [408], Military operation of the Syrian civil war, Collapse of Islamic State in Syria (April – Nov. 2017), Syrian War spillover and international incidents, Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War, Army captures the M5 highway and continued Turkish clashes, Rebel counteroffensive toward Saraqib begins, Al-Ghab plain-Zawiya mountains assault, rebels recapture Saraqib, No-fly zone in Idlib and battle for Saraqib, Aftermath and Russian–Turkish joint patrols, Turkish losses presented do not include early claims of 50–100 dead in the February 2020. [244][243], On 25 February, pro-government forces captured Kafr Nabl, a symbolically important stronghold for the Syrian opposition,[246] while SOHR reported that the Syrian army also took control of Sheikh Dames and Sheikh Mustafa. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [171][170], On 13 February, heavy bombardment and ground clashes forced the World Food Programme to pause their on-going relief efforts in Idlib, with Atareb especially severely affected. [161][162], Despite the Turkish operations, Syrian government forces continued its offensive in the southeastern part of Idlib Governorate and captured the villages of Ballisa, Tell Elaghar, an abandoned Air Defense base, Jadida Tal Khatra, Msheirfeh, Mardikh and Tell Mardikh on the same day. [139] An armed rebel group reportedly stormed Idlib Central Hospital, occupying it for military purposes for a few hours while Al-Shami Hospital in Ariha was reportedly struck by multiple airstrikes. Gen. Adnan al-Ahmad[32](Syrian National Army Deputy Chief of Staff) Thaer Maarouf[33](First Legion leader) Gen. Ahmad Rahhal(SAA defector)[34] Captain Mustafa Kuja[33](Northern Command commander) Ali Jaber Pasha (Leader of Ahrar al-Sham)[35] Col. Mustafa Bakour (Leader of Jaysh al-Izza)[36][37], Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian Rebels, The 2019–2020 northwestern Syria offensive, codenamed "Dawn of Idlib 2,"[11] was a military operation launched by the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and other allied militias against Syrian opposition and allied fighters of the Syrian National Army, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Rouse the Believers Operations Room, the Turkistan Islamic Party, and other rebel and Salafi jihadist[76] forces in Idlib and surrounding governorates during the Syrian civil war. [88] The United States strongly condemned the attack. We use cookies in order to ensure that you can get the best browsing experience possible on the Council website. The ceasefire also called for joint Turkish–Russian patrols along the highway beginning on 15 March. [332] The SOHR reported fatalities in the ranks of Turkish soldiers as a result of Syrian government shelling on Turkish positions in Sarmin. This could serve to reactivate the UN Security Council mechanism, which has been paralysed and absent from the Syrian track for too long. In practice, this could imply adopting a separate socioeconomic programme for rebuilding Idlib, involving international financing and creating the conditions for vertically integrating the regional into the pan-national elite following disbandment of the Syrian Salvation Government. [362], On 5 March 2020, the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Erdoğan and Putin, met in Moscow for high-level talks. This would be against Ankara’s interest, given its support for Azerbaijan’s offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. Bab al-Hawa border crossing (c) Wikimedia According to an SJAC source, Turkish authorities have deported more than 16,000 Syrians to Idlib this year, including more than 1,900 people in September. On 17 January, the rebels captured Tal Musaytif from government forces, according to SOHR. [229], The Syrian army and allies continued their main ground advance on 23 February in the Zawiya mountains (Jabal al-Zawiya) and al-Ghab plain region near the southern Idlib-northwestern Hama administrative border. [128] According to opposition activists and paramedics, Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was almost empty of its 110,000 civilian residents as a result of the intense government bombardment in prior weeks which displaced hundreds of thousands, many of which fled north towards the border with Turkey. [363] According to the statements made by the Turkish and Russian leaders following their one-on-one meeting, a ceasefire in the area of Idlib was to come into force from 00:00 hrs on 6 March. ... 2020. Share page. The negative aspect of the HTS “commercialisation” consisted in attempts to take over transit trade crossing the border at Bab al-Hawa and deliveries of Turkish oil by the monopolist company Watad Petroleum. [315][316][317][298], On 2 March, opposition factions continued their counterattack in the strategically important al-Ghab-Zawiya mountain front while government forces simultaneously counterattacked on the Saraqib front further north; SOHR and the Syrian government reported that, backed by continued Russian air strikes, the SAA had recaptured parts of Saraqib. This outcome is also likely to lead to increased instability as aid flows decrease, with subsequent tensions between Moscow’s allies, Damascus and Ankara. [7], Late on 15 January, post-ceasefire, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies resumed offensive actions in southern Idlib in response to a prior series of apparent ceasefire violations by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militant groups. [290][291] The UN Secretary-General called for an immediate ceasefire and was backed by 13 UN Security Council members, but Russia and China vetoed the measure. This is especially true since those refugees could include intractable jihadists capable of causing a wave of terror attacks in Turkey itself; the best-case scenario for Ankara is to transfer those people to various hotbeds of unrest (such as Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh). A direct military confrontation might not be a planned one, but it will be fueled due to the intervention of the other key partners, who seek to sought and serve their personal and national intrigues. [358] In July, a UN investigation said war crimes and possible crimes against humanity were committed during the campaign. January 30, 2020 . Certainly not, and Operation Spring Shield proves it: on February 27 – March 6, 2020, the Turkish military put a stop to a local SAA offensive and subsequently increased its forces in Syria. [387], Hurras al-Din and other al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi groups formed an operations room, "Be Steadfast", to co-ordinate their efforts against the government and challenge HTS domination of the area. [124] However, a "field source" in Hama quoted by pro-government media said he was not aware of any significant attack near the front lines and that rebels were mostly using artillery and rockets to strike the SAA's positions in the de-escalation zone. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The army subsequently captured Al-Eiss and the nearby hilltop. In turn Turkish losses included 3 M60 main battle tanks and 2 APCs destroyed, rebels lost 4 main battle tanks, 7 IFVs, 3 APCs and 1 self-propelled gun. According to SOHR, by 26 January, Russia had conducted 78 airstrikes targeting front lines around Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, south of Aleppo, and in the western countryside while Syrian helicopters reportedly deployed 52 barrel bombs in rural areas. The diplomatic ties were broken and chaos and uncertainty prevailed. Most importantly middle east cannot afford a conflict as it is a commercial hub for the world. 5th Generation Warfare: A reality or Controversy? [223][224], Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that the Russian Ministry of Defence contacted Turkish forces and asked them to end artillery support to the rebels and that they did so. [345][346] Turkish sources, however, reported continued fighting on the M4/M5 intersection near Saraqib. [190][191] That night, the NGO Action on Armed Violence reported that airstrikes on Idlib city left 12 civilians (half of them children) dead and 32 injured;[192] government airstrikes on Darat Izza narrowly missed a hospital according to another NGO. [143] On the Aleppo front, HTS detonated a remote control car bomb and deployed SVBIEDs followed by rocket and mortar attacks into the northwestern Aleppo outskirts against Syrian government positions, opening a new front. Another army unit reportedly made a push on a separate axis in Aleppo. [375] Opposition activists reported that the Syrian military shelled the village of al-Mastouma near a Turkish observation point on 9 March. For negotiations and peace agreements, the two states need to share a common vision which seems to be very unlikely to happen. The clashes reportedly left up to 50 fighters killed and 90 wounded while government forces lost 40 dead and 80 wounded. Russia has said that it plans to veto an extension of cross-border UN aid delivered from Turkey, authorised under UN Security Council resolution 2533, which is up for renewal in July, potentially depriving the population of a vital lifeline amid desperate conditions. [81], On 5 March 2020, a meeting took place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed on a ceasefire beginning on 6 March that established a six-kilometer secure corridor along the M4 Highway. These cookies do not store any personal information. This is nowhere more so than in the province of Idlib, which is home to nearly 3 million people who now live under the control of extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) with external Turkish protection and humanitarian assistance from the United Nations.