The forces of the Syrian regime, helped by their Russian ally, advanced in the key city of Saraqeb, in the province of Idlib, following an offensive, described by the West as "Carnage" in this northwestern region of the country, where 17 civilians died, Thursday, February 6.
Faced with the humanitarian drama caused by this assault, which resumed in December against the Idlib region and neighboring sectors, the UN Security Council met Thursday in emergency in New York at the request of the States -United States, France and the United Kingdom.
Westerners strongly condemned "Carnage" underway in this province, several countries, notably European, calling for "To silence arms". For its part, Iran has offered to help ease tensions between Syria and Turkey. "There is an urgent need for continuous and immediate unimpeded access to the civilian population"said Geir Pedersen, the UN envoy for Syria.
Saraqeb, from 110,000 inhabitants to a deserted city
According to a new United Nations report, some 586,000 people were displaced in two months by hostilities in this region, partly dominated by jihadists and where rebel groups are present. Turkey, which has troops in northwestern Syria, including Idlib, where it supports rebels, has repeatedly called on Bashar Al-Assad and Moscow to stop their offensive.
"After a day of fighting and a rebel and jihadist counteroffensive, regime forces have taken control of large areas in the city of Saraqeb", according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), which confirmed the official agency SANA.
With 110,000 residents a few months ago according to the OSDH, Saraqeb is now almost deserted after months of destructive and deadly bombing. The city is at the junction of two major highways connecting the great metropolis of Aleppo to the coastal province of Latakia and the capital Damascus. The shelling in the northwest has killed more than 300 civilians since mid-December, according to the OSDH.
Seventeen civilians, including children, were killed Thursday, according to a new report by this organization: ten civilians were killed "In a Russian air strike on the eastern outskirts of the city of Idlib" and seven in Idlib province or the neighboring region of Aleppo, in artillery or air strikes by the regime’s army or Russian forces.
Turkish military support on the spot?
More than half of the province of Idlib and the adjoining sectors of the neighboring regions of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia are dominated by the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir Al-Cham (Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, former Syrian branch of al Qaeda). Other jihadist groups and rebel factions are present.
According to the OSDH, the jihadists and the rebels "Have the support of Turkish artillery" in fighting with government forces near Saraqeb, without Ankara confirming. The Syrian army command accused Turkey of dispatching Turkish tanks to the north of Saraqeb "To protect terrorists" and "Hinder the advance of the army".
Tension has escalated between Damascus and Ankara, culminating on Monday with unprecedented violence between Syrian and Turkish soldiers who killed around 20 people in both camps in areas of northwestern Syria, the report said. 'OSDH.
