FILE IMAGE: Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS
The Russian military registered multiple violations of the ceasefire regime by militants in the Syrian province of Aleppo and Lattakia last weekend.
“Ceasefire violations by illegal armed groups operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone continue. Thus, during the day shelling attacks were reported from the settlements of Rashah and Akch Baer (twice) in the Latakia governorate and from Aleppo’s Makanis al-Duwayri neighborhood. Apart from that, positions of Syrian government forces near the settlement of Tadef in the Aleppo governorate came under shelling by illegal armed groups operating near the city of al-Bab,” chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties Vladimir Savchenko said on October 21.
The situation at the contact-line between the government-held and miltiant-held areas establsihed in the provinces of Idlib, Aleppo and Lattakia in the framework of the Turkish-Russian demiltiarization zone agreement remains tense. Militants have already violated it multiple times: radical groups did not withdraw their members and weapons from the demilitarized zone.
If the situation continues deteriorating, the Syrian-Russian-Iranian alliance may be forced to employ a military option to force these militant groups to obey.
Additionally during the October 21 briefing, Savchenko added that the Russian reconciliation center carried out two humanitarian operations in the settlement of al-Husseiniya in Deir Ezzor province and the settlement of Kabra in Aleppo province. A total of 3.9 tonnes of food products and one tonne of bread were provided to civilians. Additionally, twenty-five wheelchairs were delivered in a charity operation to Damascus’ 601st hospital.
