On February 27, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery pounded the Turkish-occupied town of Afes in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The shelling killed two men and wounded two others. Syrian opposition activists claimed that the men were civilians. However, Afes is located right on the frontline with the SAA in the southeastern Idlib countryside which suggests that the casualties were in fact militants.
Afes is one of few towns in Greater Idlib that are directly occupied by the Turkish military. The rest of the region is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Last January, the Turkish military entered Afes in coordination with HTS. At least 75 Turkish troops occupied the entire eastern district of the town. Armored personnel carriers and surveillance systems were deployed in the small town, de-facto turning it to a large military base.
The SAA’s artillery strikes were likely a response to recent violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib. A day earlier, the Russian Centre for Reconciliation in Syria reported two indirect fire attacks on government-held areas by HTS. The center also warned that the terrorist group had been moving toxic chemicals in the region.
Despite repeated violations by HTS and its allies, the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than a year ago, is still holding up. The situation in the region will not likely stabilize any time soon.
Source: South Front