Syrian troops open safe corridor for Daesh gunmen in Idlib

Troops loyal to Syria’s Assad regime have opened a safe corridor for Daesh gunmen to advance into the country’s north-western Idlib province, Anadolu News Agency reported on Friday. The latest deployments, the agency explained, have led to a number of clashes between opposition forces and armed anti-regime groups on one hand, and Daesh terrorists and regime troops on the other.

Following the withdrawal of regime forces and Iran-backed militia groups, Daesh was able to advance some 30 kilometres into Idlib, where it managed to wrest control of the villages of Deribiye and Niha. The terrorist group has also stepped up attacks on opposition forces and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, an armed anti-regime group, in the Um Halahil and Zerzur regions of Idlib.

Supported heavily by Russian air power, regime forces and Daesh have continued their advance into south-eastern Idlib. Paradoxically, Idlib is supposed to be part of a network of de-escalation zones endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.