This map provides a brief look at the current situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
- Pro-militant sources claim that an SAA ammunition depot was blown up in the Jorin area;
- Turkish-backed militants staged an anti-government protests in al-Bab;
- 3 children were reportedly killed by a shell in Maarat Al-Numan;
- A Jaysh al-Izza field commander was killed and 3 militants were injured in an ATGM strike by the SAA in northern Hama;
- Turkish forces are reportedly planning to conduct patrols within the Idlib demilitarized zone;
- The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) conducted intense strikes on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham positions nwar Saraqib.
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Without Erdogan’s attempts to block a huge scale military operation, Idlib may have been fully liberated now.
If the Syrian army would not be such third rate army, they would have retaken this territory long ago (or not give it up in 2013 when they did); As eastern european I am far from being a turkophile but one thing has to be acknowledged: no arab army, no matter how well equipped can take on the Turkish army. Not in the past, not now, and likely not in the future either. It is all on Russians to decide the end game like they did in the Balkans in 1877-1878 . They should have not stopped to Adrianople (Edirne) but should have gone for the Bosphorus when they had the chance. Then, as now, it was the British and the French which threatened Russia with intervention had they’re taken Constantinople form the dirty fangs of the islam. My bet is that Russians want to see North Stream second leg completed and possibly the South Stream too, before they make any bold and decisive moves in Ukraine or Syria.