Russia says Syrian regime preparing to 'solve' Idlib problem

Russia said on Tuesday that the Syrian regime army is getting ready to solve the problem of "terrorism" in the rebel stronghold of Idlib, apparently referring to a looming regime offensive. 

"We know that the Syrian armed forces are getting ready to solve this problem," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, calling Idlib a "pocket of terrorism". 

He did not release a time-frame, however, or comment on reports that Russian planes had carried out air strikes on Idlib earlier on Tuesday. 

Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian jets bombed Idlib province after a 22-day pause.

Tuesday's bombardment hit several areas held by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, among them the large town of Jisr al-Shighour, but also areas held by rival Turkish-backed rebels, including the town of Ariha.

Peskov said numerous "terrorists" are holed up in Idlib, leading to a "general destabilisation of the situation". 

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"This undermines attempts to push the situation towards a political and diplomatic settlement and most importantly presents a significant threat for our temporary facilities," he added. 

"No doubt one needs to deal with this problem."

Idlib is held by a complex array of moderate rebels and Islamist groups, some of whom have been blacklisted as "terrorists" by world powers.

Syrian regime forces are now massing around the north-western province in preparation for the assault.

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syria against launching an attack on Idlib with the help of Russia and Iran, saying the offensive could trigger a "human tragedy".

Peskov took issue with Trump's warning, saying the situation could have "dangerous, negative" consequences for the entire country.

The UN and aid groups have warned that a full assault on Idlib could spark a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale not yet seen in Syria's seven-year-old conflict.

Any military operation in the province is expected to pose a particular humanitarian nightmare because there is no nearby opposition territory left in Syria where people could be evacuated to.