MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Militants of the terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known formerly as Jabhat al-Nusra [outlawed in Russia by a ruling of the Supreme Court - TASS] and other groupings are concentrating their manpower in the north of Latakia and Hama Governorates and near the city of Aleppo, Maj.-Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, the head of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring sides in Syria said on Thursday.
"We note the concentration of militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other grouping in the northern area of Latakia and Hama Governorates and to the southeast of the city of Aleppo," he said. "The Russian center for reconciliation calls on the field commanders of the illegal paramilitary groups to renounce armed provocations and to turn to the path of peace settlement in the districts under their control."
The illegal armed units operating in the Idlib zone of de-escalation continue violating the ceasefire regulations, Gen Tsygankov said. "Since Wednesday afternoon, they shelled the populated localities of Arafit - twice - and Al-Safafa in Latakia, Sheikh Barakah in Hama, and the residential quarters of Al-Hamdaniya and Makanis al-Duwairi in Aleppo."
As a result of the shelling, two Syrian military died and four civilians were wounded.