Syria’s Assad regime forces violate ceasefire mins after it goes into effect

Civil defense group members conduct search and rescue works at debris of buildings after Russian jets targeted civilians who took refuge in a poultry farm in Maarrat Misrin, a town in Idlib province, Syria on 5 March, 2020 [Muhammed Beradi/Anadolu Agency]

Syrian regime forces violated the ceasefire only half an hour after it came into effect, Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera, local sources and Syrian journalists reported.

“Assad forces continue bombardments in the south of Idlib and west of Aleppo after the cease-fire deal,” Al Jazeera reported in a tweet.

In the first moments of the ceasefire, the Assad regime forces violate the Russian-Turkish agreement by bombing towns in the countryside of #Aleppo and #Idlib #SaveIdlib pic.twitter.com/ueiuZ7psTQ

— Jennifer (@JennRollins1002) March 6, 2020

Assad Hanna, a Syrian journalist and human rights defender working for the civil defence group the White Helmets, also said in a tweet that the regime forces violated the ceasefire just minutes after it came into effect at 00.01 today.

Assad army is violating the ceasefire just few minutes after it supposed to start by artillery shelling on Hamah countryside and Idlib countryside.

— Asaad Sam Hanna (@AsaadHannaa) March 5, 2020

According to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 15 regime soldiers and opposition fighters were killed in clashes on the frontlines of Jabal Al-Zawiya since the ceasefire came into effect.

At least 15 killed in clashes between Syrian regime and rebels since ceasefire came into effect

After #Syria|n regime had violated the ceasefire agreement, some clashes took place in Jabal al-Zawiya on Friday.

6 regime members and 9 rebels were killed.

▪️Syrian observatory pic.twitter.com/AHyFN2EpSQ

— EHA News (@eha_news) March 6, 2020

Pro-regime fighters, however, claimed opposition forces had attacked in violation of the terms of the deal.

Yesterday Turkey and Russia reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone.

During the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted the massive losses that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has suffered in the Idlib battles.

The killing of more than 34 Turkish soldiers in regime attacks last week led Turkey to launch a campaign of airstrikes in Syria. Ankara said it has killed more than 2,000 Syrian regime troops as in its latest campaign.

READ: Russia massacres 15 Syria civilians hours before meeting with Turkey

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