The return of the Syrian governorate of Idlib to the government control is closer than ever, governor Tha’ir Salhab told Sputnik on January 19.
A large swath of Idlib, including the governorate’s city center, as well as parts from the nearby northern Lattakia countryside, northwestern Hama countryside and western Aleppo countryside are currently occupied by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several other al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups. The Turkish military maintains a large presence in the region, which is known as Greater Idlib.
“Soon, the militants’ control over the villages, cities, and towns in which they are entrenched in the northern and northwestern countryside of the governorate will end,” Salhab told the Russian news agency.
The governor said that he is in contact with many civilians in Idlib who demand the entry of the Syrian military and the return of government institutions.
HTS and its allies have been prosecuting their opponents, using civilians as human shields and looting international humanitarian aid sent to the region.
“It is no secret that the Syrian state, in coordination with its Russian ally, is making no political effort to ensure the return of all the lands of Idlib governorate to its normal state, and to save the thousands of families who are currently in the areas controlled by the militants,” Salhab said.
Shalhab remarks came amid rumors of a near Turkish withdrawal from several parts of Greater Idlib in line with a ceasefire agreement that was reached in Moscow on 5 March 2020.
According to the rumors, which are circulating Syrian news sources, Ankara will pull its military to behind the M4 highway in order to facilitate the ongoing Russian-sponsored rapprochement process with Damascus. The strategic highway links the port city of Lattakia with Aleppo city, Syria’s industrial hub.
Earlier this week, a Turkish security official told BBC Turkey that Ankara is ready to discuss all issues with Damascus, including a partial or complete withdrawal from Syria.
The situation in Greater Idlib has been unstable to say the least. In the last few weeks, HTS and its allies attacks several Syrian military positions around Greater Idlib in what appears to be an attempt to stir up tensions between Ankara and Damascus.
A Turkish withdrawal from Greater Idlib will pave the way for a new military operation against HTS and its allies, and ensure the security of the M4 highway.