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Conflict in Syria

Militants shell 23 settlements in Syria in past day — Russian reconciliation center

Militants from illegal armed groups shelled settlements in Syria's provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Idlib

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Twenty-three settlements in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone came under fire by militants in the past day, Major General Alexey Bakin, chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria, said on Tuesday.

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"Thirty-three instances of shelling were reported on September 23. Militants from illegal armed groups shelled the settlements of Binyamin, Sabikiyah, Makanis al-Dwairi, and Hai al-Sheikh Maksoud in the Aleppo governorate; the settlements of Ain al-Qantara, Kermel, Janajiq, Kara Jaghez, and al-Areim in the Latakia governorate; the settlements of Khan Shaykhoun, Kafer Ain, Tell As, al-Salikhiyah, Sharja, Ard al-Shalat, Abu Omar, and Tamana in the Hama governorate; the settlements of Kara Jurn, Hwaiz, Mgair, and Tell al-Tut in the Idlib governorate," Bakin said.

Four de-escalation zones were established in Syria under the agreement reached by the three Syrian ceasefire guarantor nations, namely Russia, Iran and Turkey, in May 2017. Three of the zones are now controlled by Damascus while the fourth one located in the Idlib governorate and partially in the neighboring Latakia, Hama and Aleppo governorates, is still outside Damascus’ control, with a larger part of it being seized by Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) militants.

The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The center’s officers regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones.

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