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Syrian civilians unable to flee Idlib amid escalation

In the past 24 hours, 62 cases of shelling by militants operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone have been registered

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Syrian civilians were unable to leave the Idlib de-escalation zone controlled by armed groups in the wake of escalation in the region, Major-General Yuri Borenkov, chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Friday.

"In the wake of escalation, the exit of civilians from the areas of the Idlib de-escalation zone controlled by armed groups into the areas controlled by the Syrian government forces was not carried out on January 17, 2020," he said.

Borenkov added that a total of 1,490 people and 63 motor and agricultural vehicles had left the zone since January 13.

"The Russian reconciliation center urges the commanders of illegal armed groups to refrain from armed provocations, to embark on a path of peaceful settlement in the areas under their control and stop hampering civilians’ exit via the opened checkpoints," the general stressed.

In the past 24 hours, 62 cases of shelling by militants operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone have been registered in the regions of Latakia, Aleppo, Idlib and Hama. Since January 14, at least 28 civilians have been killed in shelling in the city of Aleppo so far, while 56 more have been wounded.

Three checkpoints were opened on January 13 for civilians to flee from Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone controlled by militants. The checkpoints are located in the regions of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo. A ceasefire agreement in the Idlib de-escalation zone in northern Syria came into effect on January 12. Moreover, Syrian government forces stopped fighting at 2.00 p.m. Moscow time on January 9.

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

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