Anadolu: 216,000 displaced Syrians returned to Idlib since March

More than 216,000 displaced Syrians moved back to the war-torn governorates of Idlib and Aleppo in the north of Syria since the announcement of a Turkish-Russian ceasefire on 6 March, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

According to an activist involved in the coordination of the return of the displaced in the north of Syrian, Anadolu said that more than a million Syrians fled Idlib and its surroundings due to the regime’s attack on the area in November.

Assad and the Syrian regime committed war crimes- Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

The activist said that many of the displaced returned immediately after the start of the ceasefire on 6 March.

The displaced Syrians stayed in refugee camps near the Syrian-Turkish border or in areas controlled by the Syrian opposition.

According to the activist, many returned due to fears of a possible outbreak of the coronavirus in the overcrowded camps. They are, however, unable to return to their homes because they fall under the Assad regime rule.

On 5 March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Syria’s ally, announced signed a deal to enforce a ceasefire and establish a safe zone along the strategic M4 highway.

READ: Russia praises Turkey’s efforts in Idlib, Syria