Syrian Army Starts Anti-Terror Operation in Idlib – Reports

In late July, a military source told Sputnik that the Syrian government forces were preparing for a large-scale offensive in the country's northwestern province of Idlib, which is currently home to "tens of thousands of terrorists," according to Syria's President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian Army has launched a series of shelling attacks on terrorist positions in Idlib province in the country's northeast, according to media reports.

The offensive was preceded by the Syrian military dropping leaflets urging jihadists to lay down arms and accept the government's requests.

"The war is nearing an end. … We are calling on you to join the local reconciliations, as many of our people in Syria did. Your cooperation with the Syrian Arab Army will release you from the rule of militants and terrorists, and will preserve you and your families' lives," the leaflets read.

The military operation came a few days after Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, the head of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, said that the militants operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone continued shelling settlements in Syria "over the past 24 hours."

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Earlier, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that government troops continued to crack down on terrorists based in areas adjacent to the provinces of Hama and Suwayda in the country's west and southwest, respectively.

Late last month, Syrian President Bashar Assad pointed out that the liberation of Idlib, which sits on the border with Turkey, was among the priorities for the Syrian military's operations.

Since 2017, the Idlib province has been included in the northern de-escalation zone created under the Astana reconciliation process. Most of the province is currently occupied by a disparate collection of militant groups, including al-Nusra Front.* With the liberation of broad areas of southern Syria earlier this month, Idlib has become one of the last anti-government strongholds in Syria.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations. Russia along with Turkey and Iran are guarantors of the ceasefire regime in Syria.