Eight European UN members back Turkey on Idlib effort

Erdoğan to visit Iran for Syria summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will travel to Iran’s Tehran on Friday to discuss Syria with his Iranian and Russian counterparts.Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, resumed air strikes in Idlib on Tuesday following weeks of bombardment and shelling by pro-Syrian government forces in an apparent prelude to a full-scale offensive against the oppositions' last major enclave.Turkey, which backs the opposition against Assad, has said an offensive on Idlib would be disastrous. Ankara is sheltering 3.5 million Syrian refugees.Russia says summit to help clarify military situation in Syria's IdlibSyrian opposition head calls on world to ‘stop the massacre’ in IdlibAssad regime shells Syria's IdlibErdoğan says Idlib assault would be ‘a grave massacre’UN envoy urges Erdoğan, Putin to discuss Idlib

Warplanes strike Syria's opposition-held Idlib region

Air strikes hit parts of the Idlib region in northwest Syria, the country's last major opposition stronghold, a war monitoring group and a rescue service said on Thursday.There was no immediate comment from Damascus or Moscow. Both say they target only militants.The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said warplanes, which it believed were Russian, struck the southern countryside of Idlib and a village in nearby Hama province.The Civil Defence, an emergency service that operates in opposition territory, said air strikes damaged its centre in the village of al-Tamanaa in Idlib.France's top military official said his forces were prepared to strike Syrian government targets if chemical weapons were used in an expected army offensive to retake Idlib.Over 8,000 PKK terrorists to join Idlib offensive: FSA commanderFrench army chief: ready to strike Syria if chemical weapons used

Over 8,000 PKK terrorists to join Idlib offensive: FSA commander

As a ground offensive against Syria’s Idlib looms, 8,500 terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are set to join any possible attack against the northwestern opposition stronghold in coordination with the Assad regime, according to an opposition commander. The PKK will be part of a 23,000-strong force comprised of terrorists belonging to the Syrian Resistance, Liwaa Iskenderun, Harakat al-Nujabaa, Fatimiyyoun, Asaeb Ahl al-Haq militias, among others.The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive in Idlib, which is controlled by various armed opposition groups.Turkish army under threatSpeaking exclusively to Yeni Şafak daily about the Idlib offensive, Free Syrian Army (FSA) General Naji Abu Huzaifah warned that observational posts belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces could come under attack. “PKK terrorists are currently being sent to Idlib from Raqqa, Manbij, Ayn al-Arab and Ayn Eissa. Turkish observational posts are on full alert. Turkey’s observational posts, particularly those near Morek, will be targeted in the case of a ground attack by PKK terrorists and gangs affiliated with Mihraç Ural.”Turkey, which has a military presence in observation posts it has erected along the frontlines between the opposition and government forces, reiterated its warnings against an offensive.Video: Syrian opposition prepares for possible Assad attack in Idlib‘Waiting for Tehran summit’Gen. Abu Huzaifah pointed that Russia and the Assad regime have different priorities in Idlib, noting that “Russia mainly wants to seize control over the Jisr al-Shughour region and the Damascus- Aleppo, Aleppo- Latakia highway in order to secure its Hmeymim Military Base.” “However, the regime wants to use Russia as a shield to destroy all opposition and reestablish its authority. The Assad- Russia- Iran bloc is unaware of how powerful we are in Idlib. It will not be easy for them here. However, we’re coordinating with Turkey and we’re awaiting the results of the Tehran summit.”Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, resumed air strikes in Idlib on Tuesday following weeks of bombardment and shelling by pro-Syrian government forces against the opposition’s last major enclave.The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran are due to meet on Friday in Iran and are expected to discuss the situation in northwestern Syria. Turkey, which backs the opposition against Assad, has said an offensive on Idlib would be disastrous. Ankara is sheltering 3.5 million Syrian refugees.French army chief: ready to strike Syria if chemical weapons usedIf Syria is to be divided, so will Turkey, says KaragülAreas to be targeted by Idlib attack The FSA commander proceeded to list the area that will be targeted by any possible attack, which will include Western Aleppo, Jisr al-Shughour, Turkmen Mount and Morek as the first of four fronts. The second and third front include the axes of Sahl al-Ghab- Joureen and Jisr al-Shughour-Kensibbeh, respectively. The fourth front includes Hama’s Hilfaya, Khbayyat and Soran, where Russia’s Wagner Brigade is stationed alongside Iranian-backed Shia militias, according to Gen. Abu Huzaifah. Meanwhile, members of Mihraç Ural’s Syrian resistance and Afghan Shia militias are stationed near the Rabia, Hamrat and Bahsa fronts. According to the FSA commander, the regime in Damascus, which struck a secret deal with PKK terrorists on Idlib, had assigned them to the Jamiyaat al-Zahraa- Handarat axis.Erdoğan to visit Iran for Syria summitTurkey condemned Russia's Idlib attack: FMGround attack only a matter of timeTurkey’s armed personnel carrier reinforcements continue to be dispatched from Turkish army units in Kilis, a province on Turkey’s border, to bases in Idlib, as a ground attack on the opposition stronghold looms.The reinforcements include modernized tanks, armed personnel carriers, artillery and excavators.Russian airstrikes result in civilian massacresSyrian opposition sources said that Russian military aircraft -- flying out of the Hmeimim airbase -- had carried out at least 20 separate attack sorties in recent days.Russian strikes had killed nine civilians -- including five children -- in Jisr al-Shughur, while leaving at least 20 more people injured.On Tuesday night, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed the attack, saying Russia's Hmeymim Airbase in Syria destroyed two drones with surface-to-air missiles."On Sept. 4, at night, the anti-aircraft weapons of Hmeimim Airbase destroyed two terrorist assault UAVs,” Konashenkov said. Konashenkov said that 47 unmanned aerial vehicles that belonged to “terrorists” were destroyed last month in the area of Russia's Hmeymim Airbase."On the same day [September 4], four planes from the Russian air unit deployed at the Hmeymim Airbase carried out strikes on Nusra Front targets in Idlib with precision-guided munitions.”According to the spokesman, the strikes were carried out on storage facilities where drones were kept, located outside settlements, as well as "detected sites where assault drones were launched to carry out terrorist attacks on Russia's Hmeymim Airbase and settlements in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama."Artillery harassment fireOn Tuesday, regime mortar and artillery fire targeted the Idlib town of Jisr al-Shughour and the northern Hama town of Haysh following Russian airstrikes against the region, where close to 4 million Syrians, the majority of whom are internally displaced, had sought refuge after fleeing violence raging in other parts of the war-torn country.In a bid to thwart regime advances toward the region, opposition forces blew up the Twainiyyeh Bridge near Qalaat al-Madiq, which was already damaged by intermittent regime shelling targeting the area.Morek barrier Idlib’s southeastern Mount Morek, where a number of Turkish army observation posts are located, is among the targets that are set to be attacked by Iranian-backed Shia militias and PKK terrorists. As Turkish reinforcements continue to be dispatched to the region, work is ongoing to fortify Turkey’s observational posts by ramping up personnel numbers and putting up large concrete blocks and barricades around the strategic bases, in a bid to strengthen these positions against possible attacks.

Turkey condemned Russia's Idlib attack: FM

Turkey has conveyed to Russia its condemnation of the recent attack in Syria's Idlib, the Turkish foreign minister said on Wednesday."After the attack, our institutions [Turkish and Russian] contacted each other. We told them that this is wrong," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, speaking at a joint news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.Çavuşoğlu said the attacks are aimed at "capturing Idlib", which he said, "carries a serious risk" and "would be disastrous from many angles". Russian warplanes on Tuesday pounded civilian and opposition targets in Idlib.Turkey follows generous policy for Syrians: Dutch min.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.The Syrian regime has recently announced plans to launch a major military offensive to the area, which is controlled by various armed opposition groups.On Tuesday, the UN’s humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock warned that such an offensive would lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe in the 21st century".Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are scheduled to meet in Tehran on Friday for a trilateral summit on Syria.Idlib offensive could trigger new wave of migration to Europe, TurkeyRussia says summit to help clarify military situation in Syria's Idlib

Idlib offensive could trigger new wave of migration to Europe, Turkey

As the Assad regime and Russia shell the last opposition-held stronghold of Syria’s Idlib, humanitarian agencies are worried about internally displaced citizens and refugees flocking to Turkey and Europe.Speaking to Yeni Şafak daily, head of the Turkish Red Crescent Kerem Kınık emphasized that if a battle breaks out in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib, hundreds of thousands of civilians would flee to Turkey and Europe, which would spell the start of a “new immigration wave.”On Tuesday, Russian warplanes bombed several areas in the last opposition-held stronghold of Idlib, raising worries of a major assault by the Assad regime forces and its allies.Stressing the importance of the international community’s need to gain the trust of Syrian civilians, he said: “The immigration issue is not a threat to Turkey alone, it can turn into an immigration wave toward Europe. This issue must be resolved at the [diplomacy] table. However, we have taken every precaution both in Turkey and Syria.”The Turkish Red Crescent has been providing humanitarian aid to Syrians since March 15, 2011.'White Helmets saved 115,000 lives in Syria' Migration issue must be solved by diplomacyStating that seven million civilians were internally displaced in Syria, “2.5 million of these people are in Idlib. A wave of fear could mobilize them. We witnessed this in Ghouta. It is impossible to govern this many people. This problem must be solved at the table.” “Civilians in Idlib trust Turkey, not Russia or Iran,” he concluded.Idlib, located in northwestern Syria on the Turkish border, has faced intense attacks by the Bashar al-Assad regime after a vicious civil war broke out in 2011. Since March 2015, Idlib is no longer under the control of the Assad regime and has been overrun by opposition groups.New refugee camps to be establishedThe Turkish Red Crescent is continuing to take measures against a possible new migration wave from Syria’s Idlib and to manage the process efficiently they will implement the “help on the ground” strategy.“We will increase the capacity of the designated refugee camps in the event of a new migration wave in the areas within the scope of the Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations. We will establish new camps if needed,” Kınık said.He added that the organization has been supporting Syrians accommodated in 40 separate camps with 30,000 tents.“We continue to dispatch tents and provide humanitarian relief. Mobile health vehicles will be added to our regular services in the near future. These healthcare vehicles will be used in the case of a possible emergency. Aid for the disabled, orphans, elders and widows will be increased. We will reach our goal by helping as many people as possible, Kınık said.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others were displaced, according to UN officials.Assad regime shells Syria's IdlibRussia says in contact with Turkey regarding northern SyriaSyrian opposition head calls on world to ‘stop the massacre’ in Idlib

Russia says summit to help clarify military situation in Syria's Idlib

Russia's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday that the military situation in the Syrian opposition-held province of Idlib would become clearer after a summit in Tehran on Friday, the TASS news agency reported."I think the situation from a military point of view will become clearer after, among other things, the leaders of the three guarantor states (Russia, Iran, Turkey) hold talks on Friday (September 7)," Sergei Ryabkov told a news conference. Ryabkov said that any Russian military action in Syria tried to minimise civilian casualties and was precisely targeted, the RIA news agency reported.Kremlin says situation in Syria's Idlib Province of heightened concernRussia resumed air strikes in the opposition-held enclave of Idlib province on Tuesday after a hiatus of several weeks, according to a Syrian opposition member and a war monitor."We, as we have said many times before, act precisely, selectively, trying to minimise possible risks to the peaceful population," RIA quoted Ryabkov as saying.Ryabkov added that the situation in Syria cannot be "normalized until the problen in Idlib is solved." US takes advantage of Idlib crisis to increase support for PKK/YPG in SyriaTurkey, Russia hold last working group meeting on SyriaSyrian opposition head calls on world to ‘stop the massacre’ in IdlibAssad regime shells Syria's IdlibErdoğan says Idlib assault would be ‘a grave massacre’

EU8 press conference on Idlib