Damascus regime forces recaptured dozens of towns and villages from jihadists and rebels in northwestern Syria after several days of heavy fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday (December 22). OSDH). These advances in the regime are corroborated by the collaborative data from the Livemap site.
Since Thursday evening, clashes – notably near the city of Maarat Al-Nouman – have left more than 170 dead in both camps, including 71 members of the pre-regime forces, according to the OSDH. Loyalist forces have taken control of 25 towns and villages in the area, the source said, and are gradually moving closer to Maarat Al-Nouman, one of the largest cities in the Idlib region which still largely escapes party to the control of Damascus.
Families pushed back to the north
Residents of Idlib deserted it on Sunday for fear of further advance by regime forces, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent on the ground reported. According to the OSDH, more than 30,000 people have fled the fighting area in the past few days. On Friday, the United Nations (UN) humanitarian affairs coordination office spoke of "Tens of thousands of civilians" displaced.
Some, including Abu Akram, were unable to follow the wave due to a lack of transportation. According to the father of five, local rescue groups are struggling to evacuate all the families. "Everyone is working at full capacity, but they cannot handle so many people", he told AFP after failing to find a vehicle to drive him further north with his family.
The Idlib region is dominated by jihadists from the Hayat Tahrir Al-Cham group (which stands for "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant"). Other jihadist and rebel groups are present in the region, which is home to some 3 million people, half of whom have been displaced from other parts of the country recaptured by Damascus.
A new offensive to retake the region
The Syrian regime, which now controls more than 70% of the territory, has repeatedly reiterated its determination to reclaim the entire country, including the Idlib region. The Syrian army, supported by the Russian air force, carried out a major offensive between the end of April and the end of August in the region, killing a thousand civilians according to the OSDH and displacing 400,000 people according to the UN.
Bombings and ground fighting have continued in the past four months despite a ceasefire announced in late August. More than 280 civilians and several hundred combatants have died since that date.
Raids and fighting on the ground have resumed since December 16, pushing tens of thousands of civilians to start and raising fears of another humanitarian disaster, according to the United Nations. The UN on Wednesday called for a "Immediate de-escalation", warning against further mass displacement if violence continues.
"No place is safe. If we stay inside our homes, or if we run away, we're going to die anyway, " laments Abou Akram, defeatist.
