Syrian government forces have managed to retake a strategic city in the southeastern suburbs of the country’s northwestern province of Idlib from Turkish-backed militants.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Monday that Syrian army soldiers and their allies have entered the city of Saraqib after violent clashes with the extremists and severely hitting their positions and fortified lines.



Battles are still taking place on the outskirts of the city as the Turkish-backed militants are trying to re-enter the area.

Saraqib has a strategic significance as it overlooks the 450-kilometer-long M5 highway.

The M5 highway starts in southern Syria, near the border with Jordan, and runs all the way north to the city of Aleppo near the Turkish border.

Since 2012, the M5 had been controlled by various foreign-backed militant groups. Syrian government forces started regaining parts of the highway in 2014, but they were only able to take full control during the latest offensive.

Syrian army troops and their allies established control over the highway on February 10 after dealing heavy blows to Takfiris south and west of Aleppo.

The Damascus government began road repair shortly afterwards, and the Syrian Ministry of Transport announced on February 22 that the highway was officially open to traffic and “at the full disposal of citizens.”

Russia says its military police in Syria’s Saraqib

After Syrian forces entered the strategic city of Saraqib, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its military police had also entered the city “due to its importance for security.”

The ministry’s statement added that the deployment was made to ensure security on the M4 and M5 highways, which connect the cities of Latakia, Damascus, and Aleppo.

Israel targets civilian vehicle in occupied Golan Heights

Separately, Israeli military forces fired a missile at a civilian car traveling along a road in Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra in the occupied Golan Heights.

SANA reported that the strike took place in the town of Ayn al-Tinah, but no immediate word on casualties in the attack was available.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that military forces “identified an attempted sniper attack in [the] northern Golan Heights and acted to thwart it, striking the vehicle involved in the attempt.”

On February 27, one person was killed in an Israeli drone attack in Quneitra province.

“A civilian was martyred when his car was targeted by a drone belonging to the Israeli enemy south of the town of Hader,” SANA reported.

Syrians condemn Trump's decision on Golan Heights

Syrians condemn Trump’s decision on Golan Heights

Syrians rally to protest the recent decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Israeli “sovereignty” over the occupied Golan Heights.

SANA noted that the victim was traveling in his car along a road in Hader village on Thursday, when the Israeli drone fired a missile, killing him on the spot.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the victim was a member of the “Syrian resistance to liberate Golan,” without elaborating.

Quneitra Governor Humam Dibyat identified the person as Adel Tawil and said he worked at a police station and was targeted while returning home from work.

“He was innocent. He was an honorable nationalist,” Dibyat was quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency.

All options on table for liberating Golan from Israel, Syria FM warns

All options on table for liberating Golan from Israel, Syria FM warns

Damascus delivers a stern warning to Tel Aviv over its occupation of the Golan Heights, saying all options are on the table for liberating the strategic region.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Six-Day War and later occupied it in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

The regime has built dozens of settlements in the area ever since and has used the region to carry out a number of military operations against the Syrian government.

On March 25 last year, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation, formally recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House.

World countries blast US on Golan, Syria vows to liberate Israeli occupied territory

World countries blast US on Golan, Syria vows to liberate Israeli occupied territory

The Arab League, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Iraq issue strong warnings to the US after President Trump says he will recognize Syria

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, in a statement at the time, called the US decision a “blatant attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Syria.

“The liberation of the Golan by all available means and its return to the Syrian motherland is an inalienable right,” according to the statement carried by SANA, which added, “The decision … makes the United States the main enemy of the Arabs.”

The Arab League also condemned the move, saying “Trump’s recognition does not change the area’s status.”

Iran, Iraq, Russia and Turkey condemned the US move as well.

Turkish drone attack kills 19 Syrian army soldiers in Idlib

Meanwhile, at least 19 Syrian army soldiers were killed on Sunday night by Turkish drone attacks in Idlib province.

The Observatory said the Turkish drones targeted Syrian army positions in the Jabal al-Zawiyeh area and al-Hamdiyeh camp in the northwestern Syrian province.

Earlier in the day, SANA said Syrian forces had shot down three Turkish drones over Idlib.

The incidents are part of the serious escalation between Turkey and Syria.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement on Friday that Turkey is supporting terrorist groups in Idlib.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. SANA should not be too thrilled by Gabbard. After she met Assad, she also said to reporters that Assad was a dictator that gassed his own people. This member of the CFR is no different and I wouldn’t trust her any farther than I would Trumpstein.

  2. Ask yourself how much more suffering can the Syrians take. You have to admire their resilience and courage. What disgusts me is the behavior of our POTUS and the secrecy of our involvement.

  3. To else minate headchopper terrorist in Idlib, they need to get them out of their bunkers, have them attack so they are exposed.
    The headchoppers need to think they are strong and invinceable and now is the time for their holy jihad to happen. In war if strong, seem
    to be weak to enemies in battle …(Russia) .and if weak seem to be strong (Turkish terroeists)

  4. I think I am correct in my belief that Russia’s Military pulled rank over Putin on this Gordon. Putin believed and was led to believe that Erdogan wouldn’t go so far as he has and accordingly had ordered the Russian Military to effectively “Stand to” ….. in other words, stand back. They did and all hell broke loose when, as a blind man could see, Erdogan pounced leaving both Russian Forces and Putin, together with his inner circle, including his Turkish speaking R-hand man Peskov with their collective trousers around their ankles. B the time Sunday came around, the Russian Millitary had had enough, stamped its feet and immediately ramped up activity and aggression against Turks & their Salafist vassals.

  5. this crap needs to come to an end. i have good friends in turkey, some personal through travel but others as well…if you get my meaning. turkey deserves better, not to be ruled by gangsters.

    turkey’s economy is even more brittle than iran and russia and is a nation filled with traitors or patriots, depending on which side of insanity you dwell…

    syria has suffered enough….this is the message to the russians….

    and turkish territory is no longer sacrosanct

    back in 06 i met with turks in northern iraq….a tank column doing there what it is doing now in syria

    turkish influence kept the kurds under the thumb of total assholes for decades….

  6. I wonder where this leaves Gordon’s story yesterday that:
    “Intel Drop: Putin Terrified of Erdogan, as Russians Pull Aside While Israel and Turkey War on Syria from Idlib”
    I do notice however that the Russian Air Force considerably ramped up its activity over Idlib since Sunday evenin and their actions were essential to the retaking of Seraqib.
    Did the Russian DoD and Armed Forces pull rank over Putin I wonder?

    • Gordon’s report felt like a gut-punch. It would appear that Saraqeb has been re-liberated.

      “Did the Russian DoD and Armed Forces pull rank over Putin I wonder?” Good Question.

    • the gut punch was both article and direct…much acrimony….and much that can’t be told. no excuse for the endless series of blunders

    • Well if there were some trepidations earlier there doesn’t to be any now. Seems Erdogan is now crawling to Moscow to discuss the situation.

Comments are closed.