MOSCOW, January 16./TASS/. Reports by several media outlets about Russian air strikes on civilian facilities in the Idlib de-escalation zone are untrue, chief of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria Yury Borenkov told reporters on Thursday.

"Reports by some information resources about alleged air strikes on civilian facilities in the Idlib de-escalation zone contradict the reality," Borenkov said. "The Russian Aerospace Forces have not conducted any combat sorties since the ceasefire came into effect," he added.

The ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone in northern Syria was introduced on January 9.

Four de-escalation zones were set up in Syria in May 2017 in accordance with a decision made by Russia, Iran and Turkey — the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire. The four zones include the Idlib province, certain parts of neighboring areas in the Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces, as well as some areas in the Daraa and Quneitra provinces in southern Syria. Damascus took control of three of the four zones in 2018, but the fourth one, which covers the Idlib province and certain parts of the Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces, is still controlled by terrorists from the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (banned in Russia).