The ceasefire regime brokered by Turkey and Russia last week in northwestern Hama and southern Idlib last week is not working.
While the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) halted its offensive operations in the area, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and Turkish-backed groups continued attacks on SAA positions. The countryside of Kafr Nabudah and nearby points remained the main area of clashes between the sides.
Furthermore, members of the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation are actively using anti-tank guided missiles in their clashes with the SAA. This indicates that they have a constant source of supplies of such weapons.
Ankara has sent multiple signals that it is not going to abandon or limit support to militant groups in the Idlib zone. Turkey employs its observation posts in the area as a shield defending the radicals from SAA attacks.
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