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Conflict in Syria

Syrian Army retakes Saraqib

According to the newspaper, the rest of the city was recaptured from the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group and units cooperating with them

© EPA-EFE/YAHYA NEMAH

MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. The Syrian Army has retaken the city of Saraqib in the east of the Idlib province, the Al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday, citing a source.

According to the paper, the rest of the city was recaptured from the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia) and units cooperating with them.

Read also

Syrian troops repel all militant attacks on Saraqib

Syrian government forces liberated Saraqib in February, angering Ankara, which demanded the Syrian troops return to the positions they had occupied in late December 2019. However, the Syrian forces fought off the attacks that armed Syrian opposition units, backed by the Turkish Army, carried out on February 11 and 20. However, following several days of attacks by militants supported by the Turkish artillery, Syrian troops had to retreat for tactical reasons.

Idlib is the only region in Syria still largely controlled by illegal armed groups. A de-escalation zone was created in Idlib in 2017, and militants reluctant to lay down their arms moved there from the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta and the country’s south. The Turkish Army’s observation points are located in the province.

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