Seven Syrian regime soldiers killed in clashes with rebels in Idlib province

At least seven Syrian regime soldiers have been killed and nine others injured in clashes with rebels in the Jabal al-Zawiya area of southern Idlib province.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

01 August, 2020

Clashes between rebels and regime forces have taken place in Idlib despite a ceasefire [Getty]

At least seven Syrian regime soldiers were killed and nine others injured in clashes with rebel groups in Idlib province on Friday evening.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that a regime officer and two soldiers were killed, while three regime soldiers were injured on Friday after a mine exploded while they were trying to attack the Jabal Al-Zawiya area of southern Idlib province.

The SOHR also said that a further four regime soldiers were killed and six more injured in clashes with the hardline Islamist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the Jabal Al-Zawiya area.

Media activist Mustafa Mohammed also told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service that rebels from HTS and the more moderate National Front for Liberation bombed regime positions around the deserted city of Maarat al-Numan, which was captured by the regime last January.

He said that the bombing was in retaliation for the regime shelling of Jabal al-Zawiya and other residential areas in southern Idlib province on Friday.

Southern Idlib province has been heavily targeted by the regime in recent days despite a ceasefire deal signed by Russia in March.

Pro-Iranian militias supporting the regime have sent reinforcements to the area recently and there are growing fears of a major regime assault.

Also on Friday, the headquarters of Watad, an HTS-affiliated petroleum company which is the only organisation importing petrol to rebel-held areas of Syria, was bombed by a drone of unknown origin, resulting in the destruction of two lorries and major damage to storage facilities.