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In the early hours of March 24, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a barrage of heavy rockets at the militant-held town of Jarjnaz in the southern Idlib countryside.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the rocket strike killed ten fighters of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria. Several positions and equipment of the terrorist group were also destroyed.
The SAA attack came few hours after unknown militants launched several munitions containing toxic substances at the government-held towns of al-Rasif and al-Azizah in the northern Hama countryside. More than 21 civilians were reportedly intoxicated.
HTS, who is known for its repeated attacks on residential areas in northern Hama, is suspected of planning and conducting the chemical attack. The terrorist group occupies most of the demilitarized zone, which was established around the governorate of Idlib last September, under a Russian-Turkish agreement.
Idlib and the demilitarized zone around it will likely witness more escalation in the upcoming few hours, if the use of toxic substances in March 22 attack is confirmed.
