Terrorists Protest against Russian-Turkish Agreement on Idlib

SOHR reported that the terrorist groups of Horas al-Din, Ansar al-Tohid, Ansar al-Din, Ansar Allah, Tajamo al-Forqan, Jund al-Aqsa and more groups affiliated to Tahrir al-Sham declared their opposition to the Turkish-Russian agreement on Idlib.

It further said that the opposing terrorist groups have rejected to retreat from contact lines with the Syrian army from Jisr al-Shughour to Eastern Idlib and underlined that they will counter any side that would try to disarm them or force them to retreat.

In the meantime, militant-affiliated sources reported that senior commanders of Tahrir al-Sham, including Bu al-Yaqzan Mesri and Abu Mariyeh Qahtani, have opposed the contents of Sochi agreement endorsed by Moscow and Ankara.

The sources further said that the Mufti (religious leader) of Tahrir al-Sham, Abu al-Fatah al-Farqani Mesri, has warned that if they retreat then they would be forced to hand over their arms, witness disunity and loss of power.

They went on to say that former Head of the Political Office of Tahrir al-Sham Zeid al-Atar has also said that the group's weapon is a sign of their strength and will guaranty their future objectives.

On Monday, after three-hour negotiations between Turkish President Rajab Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin , Russia and Turkey agreed to create by October 15 a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib province along the contact line between the Syrian government forces and the armed opposition. According to Ankara’s proposal, the armed opposition’s tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and other heavy weaponry are to be fully withdrawn from the area by October 10. The demilitarized zone will be controlled by mobile patrol groups of the Turkish military and Russia’s military police.

Idlib is the only Syrian province still controlled by illegal armed groups. In 2017, a de-escalation zone was established in the region, where militants reluctant to lay down their arms can move together with their families. According to United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Idlib currently hosts about 10,000 militants from the Jabhat al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda terror groups. In case Damascus succeeds in restoring control over Idlib, it will bring large-scale military activities in Syria to an end.

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