Illustrative image
In a new violation of the Russian-Turkish demilitarized zone agreement, radical militants shelled a school in the government-held part of the northern Hama countryside on February 10.
“Terrorist groups based in the town of al-Lataminah targeted the town of Asilah with two rockets … Both fell on the wall of the town’s high-school causing material damage only,” the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reporter said. He added: “the attack occurred when the students were attending their daily classes.”
This dangerous attack triggered a heavy response from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), that shelled many positions of the militants in the towns of al-Tamanah and Sukayk in southern Idlib and in the towns of al-Lataminah, Kafr Zita, Hisraiyah, al-Sakr and al-Zakah in northern Hama.
The radical militants stepped up their attacks on residential areas in the northern Hama countryside in the last few weeks in a clear challenge to the demilitarized zone agreement. However, Turkey didn’t take any steps to de-escalate the situation.
Despite these daily violations, Russia and the Damascus government are apparently still not ready to employ a military option to solve this issue.
