Early on May 13, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) exchanged fire with militants in different parts of the Greater Idlib region.
Militants targeted SAA positions near the town of Hizareen in southern Idlib. Army units responded to the attack in kind.
Later, the army artillery pounded militants’ positions in the town of Kabani in Mount Kurd in the northern countryside of Lattakia, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter, Via Google Maps – TerraMetrics
The ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey on March 5, appears to be nearing its end. The militants are launching more and more attacks.
Last week, al-Qaeda-affiliated militants launched a large attack on SAA positions in northwestern Hama. More than 30 Syrian soldiers were killed in the clashes. A tank was also captured by the militants.
The SAA stepped up its artillery and rocket strikes on Greater Idlib following the attack. However, a proper response is yet to be delivered.
The army and its allies will likely launch a large-scale operation in Greater Idlib, if the March 5 agreement collapse. The repeated militant’s’ attacks indicate that this could happen soon.
