BEIRUT: Regime forces have retaken several villages in northwestern Syria, a monitor said on Thursday, a move that could tee up an offensive against the last major insurgent bastion of Idlib.
More than six years into the deadly Syria conflict, Idlib province, which borders Turkey, is the only major region in the country still completely beyond regime control.
Fierce clashes have in recent days pitted regime forces against Fateh Al-Sham Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, on the edge of the province, the Syrian Observatory for Huan Rights said.
“The army took several villages,” the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said.
He said the regime push was backed by Russian airstrikes and added that the “regime wants to seize the southeast of Idlib province.”
The latest fighting took place in villages on the border between Idlib and Hama provinces where clashes have been ongoing for two months.
The regime has had no presence in Idlib province since 2015.
Fateh Al-Sham, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, crushed its former allies in the summer to become the dominant force there.
Idlib is one of four “de-escalation” zones in Syria covered by a deal meant to reduce violence levels that was struck in May by Russia, Iran and Turkey.
Regime forces seize villages in Idlib offensive
Regime forces seize villages in Idlib offensive
Rubio pushes for New Year’s humanitarian truce in Sudan
- “Ninety-nine percent of our focus is this humanitarian truce and achieving that as soon as possible,” Rubio said
- “And we think that the new year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity”
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the new year offered a chance for a humanitarian truce in war-ravaged Sudan as he urged outside countries to exert leverage.
“Ninety-nine percent of our focus is this humanitarian truce and achieving that as soon as possible,” Rubio told a news conference.
“And we think that the new year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity for both sides to agree to that, and we’re really pushing very hard on that regard,” he said.
Sudan has been devastated since the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) went to war in April 2023, with tens of thousands of people killed, millions displaced and widespread abuses and hunger.
Rubio said both sides have violated commitments as he voiced alarm at new reports of humanitarian convoys being struck.
“What’s happening there is horrifying. It’s atrocious,” he said.
“One day the story of what’s actually happened there is going to be known, and everyone involved is going to look bad.”
“Someone is allowing it to be shipped in, and someone is actually shipping it. So we’ve had the right and appropriate conversations with all sides of this conflict,” he said.
“We’re hopeful that we can make some progress on this, but we know that in order to make progress on this, it will require outside actors to use their leverage,” Rubio concluded.
