Special Advisor to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Jan Egeland
Special Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria Jan Egeland on Thursday said that the UN will request Turkey to keep its borders open for civilians to flee if a battle breaks out in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib.
The United Nations also warned that an offensive in the northwestern province could force 2.5 million people towards the Turkish border in the event of an offensive.
“Russia, Iran and Turkey told a meeting of the Syria humanitarian taskforce on Thursday that they would do their utmost to avoid a battle that would threaten millions of civilians in opposition-held Idlib,” Egeland added.
Amid Syria’s humanitarian suffering due to the seven-year civil war, over the past four months the U.S.-backed YPG/PKK terror group has increased its occupation of Syrian lands from 25 percent to 28 percent.According to map calculations by Anadolu Agency, between April 18 and Aug. 8, both the terror group YPG/PKK and the Assad regime increased their areas of dominance while the military opposition and terror group Daesh lost ground. Over the past four months, the Assad regime has increased by 1 percent its control over Syria, now controlling 109,136 of Syria’s total area of 185,180 square kilometers.While sometimes violating the Astana deal with Russian air support, the Assad regime has recently seized previously opposition-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, Daraa, and Quneitra.Four PKK terrorists surrender in southeastern TurkeyTerrorist YPG/PKK and DaeshWith the loss of Afrin due to Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch earlier this year, which rid a large part of Turkey's borders of the terrorist group, the YPG/PKK lost some ground but also stepped up its occupation of eastern parts of the country.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- recognized as a terror group by the U.S., EU, and Turkey -- has claimed some 40,000 lives, including many women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch, as documented by Turkey, but denied by the U.S.The terror group, backed by U.S. air support, increased its occupation in Syria from 51,379 to 45,967 square kilometers, boosting its area of dominance from 25 percent to 27.7 percent. The terror group Daesh, for its part, is currently present in three different areas in Syria totaling 6,040 square kilometers. Having earlier lost some 3,700 kilometers, the terror group's occupation of Syrian soil has dropped 3.3 percent since April.Today, Daesh is present in some the villages on the eastern side of the Euphrates River, eastern rural sections of Homs, and certain districts in As-Suwayda.Assad regime takes awaychildren’s right to educationOpposition to Assad regimeAfter losing Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta suburb in April, the military opposition and anti-regime armed groups left the Daraa and Quneitra provinces to regime forces, within the framework of a deal.The opposition’s area of dominance nationwide thus fell to 18,625 square kilometers, or about 10 percent of Syria.US marine in Syria reportedly shot by YPG/PKKToday the opposition maintains control over the northwestern province of Idlib, western Aleppo, northern rural areas of Mt. Turkmen in Latakia, and the Al-Tanf region, near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan. Some 4,147 of the opposition-controlled 18,625 square kilometers is included within the zones liberated by Turkey's operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.Some 7,700 square kilometers of the Al-Tanf region in eastern Syria are currently under U.S.-backed opposition control.
Amid shifts, terrorist YPG controlling more of Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said that additional government forces were arriving for a possible attack in an area to the southwest of Idlib city that overlaps with Latakia and Hama provinces.
The Assad regime and its Iran-backed Shia militia’ allies have already started to harass southern Idlib and speeded up its military deployments, dispatching dozens of troops, tanks, armored vehicles, missile-launching platforms and Iran-backed Shia militias along the Turkmen Mountain.
Regime helicopters have started dropping flyers at various points in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib to threaten civilians. The propaganda warns, “Lay down your arms and collaborate with Assad!”The Assad regime and its Iran-backed Shia militia’ allies have already started to harass southern Idlib and speeded up its military deployments, dispatching dozens of troops, tanks, armored vehicles, missile-launching platforms and Iran-backed Shia militias along the Turkmen Mountain.The regime has also used its propaganda leaflets in the areas of Dera, Homs and Ghouta which it has captured in the past few months.On the other hand, last week, two Chinese diplomats raised the possibility of Chinese military operations in Syria’s Idlib alongside the Assad regime.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.Turkey has stated that any attack on Idlib would result in the country withdrawing from the Astana talks and lead to a great disaster. The Astana peace talks were launched on Jan. 23-24, 2017, with the aim of putting an end to violence and improving the humanitarian situation in war-torn Syria.
Assad uses airborne leaflets to threaten civilians in Idlib
The regime has also started using its airborne propaganda leaflets in Idlib to threaten civilians.
"Your cooperation with the Syrian Arab Army will release you from the rule of militants and terrorists, and will preserve your and your families' lives. We call upon you to join local reconciliation (agreements) as many others in Syria have done," the leaflets read.
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.