Illustrative image, by the SANA
On December 2, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) foiled an attempt by radical militants to launch an attack on the Christian town of Mahardah in the northern Hama countryside, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The state-run agency said that army units had targeted militants with heavy machine guns killing and injuring many of them.
Few hours later, another group of militants attempted to launch an attack on positions of the SAA around the town of Zlin, which is located northeast of Mahardah. However, the army’s reconnaissance units detected the militants and shelled them forcing them to withdraw back to their positions in the town al-Lataminah.
A day earlier, the SAA foiled similar infiltration attempts in the northern Hama countryside. Such violations of the Russian-Turkish demilitarized zone agreement have become a daily occurrence.
As a result of these repeated violations, the Damascus government and its allies are reportedly considering the possibility of launching a limited military operation within the demilitarized zone. Earlier this week, Russia’s special presidential envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, hinted that Russia would support such an operation.
