Heavy losses for Erdogan’s factions in Idlib after sending mercenaries to Libya

Mustafa Kamel

It seems that the Syrian armed factions supported by Turkey have been seeking recently to make further progress in the cities of Aleppo and Idlib, as seen by the attacks carried out by these factions against the Syrian army. However, the decrease in the number of fighters after Ankara sent many of them to Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA) militias has made it likely that the Syrian army will enter the city of Maarat al-Numan, the second largest city in Idlib government. This comes amid Turkish silence and in light of information on the tacit approval of Turkish President Erdogan that the Syrian army expelled the militants from all the areas they control in Idlib.

Temporary gain

The armed Syrian factions achieved progress in northeast Maarat al-Numan following an attack carried out by the militants in an attempt to ease pressure on the city’s eastern axes. Violent clashes with the Syrian army forces also took place on axes south of Aleppo, in a new attempt by the army to control these areas and restore them from the hands of the militants. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the killing of four militants and eight army personnel during the battles that took place in the northeastern suburbs of Maarat al-Numan.

The terrorist factions launched an attack on a number of Syrian army locations in the countryside of Idlib on January 23, where about 200 armed men participated in the attack, killing 40 Syrian soldiers and wounding 80 others, while about 50 of the militants were killed as a result of the clashes, according to the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria.

Faux Turkish support

The Syrian Observatory revealed last week that Turkish intelligence met with groups of armed factions at the Bab al-Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria and told them that there is no possibility of a ceasefire again and that the Syrian regime’s military operation will resume, so they can either fight to the end or surrender.

Those loyal to the Syrian factions tweeted under the hashtag “Idlib in danger” that everything being reported about Turkey providing new support to the factions is incorrect, noting that if Turkey does not want Idlib to fall, then it must support the factions with missiles and weapons.

Resounding losses

On Sunday, January 26, Syrian army forces moved into the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib, storming the eastern side Maarat al-Numan, specifically in Wadi Deif in southern Idlib. In addition, on Saturday evening, they were able to take control of a number of strategic villages, towns and hills in the western countryside of Aleppo and southern Idlib, after violent clashes took place between the armed factions and the Syrian army.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian army has made progress in northwestern Syria and is now just hundreds of meters away from Ras al-Ayn, Idlib’s largest city, with the aim of controlling the Damascus-Aleppo International Road. If they advance north and south of Maarat al-Numan, the Syrian army may siege the city on three fronts, which would force the militants to withdraw, the Observatory pointed out, stressing that taking control of the city would be considered a major victory for the Syrian army since it lost its control of Idlib in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan confirmed on January 26 that the Syrian army is just around the corner from Maarat al-Numan, while Damascus reiterates its intention to restore the entire region of Idlib and the surrounding areas despite several armistice agreements that have been reached over recent years in the governorate. Most of these areas have been under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra Front), and other armed factions are also active.