Syrian opposition armed groups give up their heavy weapon near Idlib in implementation of the Russian-Turkish agreement

Remaining on alert within tunnels and fortifications, the Syrian opposition armed factions ended their heavy arms withdrawal from Idlib province on Monday as Moscow and Ankara set a deadline for a “demilitarized zone” on Wednesday.

Correspondents of the Turkish Anadolu news Agency in Idlib, northwestern Syria, said the opposition factions ended on Monday withdrawing their heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, mortars and medium-range missiles.

The National Liberation Front, which includes a number of “non-jihadist” factions near Turkey, most notably the movement of Ahrar Al Sham and the movement of Nur Al Din Al Zenki and the Al Sham coups on Saturday they began to withdraw heavy weapons from areas agreed between Russia and Turkey, in a first step towards the implementation of this initiative articulated for another A stronghold of the opposition and jihadist factions in Syria.

It was agreed that heavy weapons would be withdrawn from areas that would become demilitarized, according to the Turkish-Russian agreement, before Wednesday.

The Anadolu news agency reported on Monday that the Turkish army was moved to the area from which the heavy weapons were withdrawn, weapons and armored patrol vehicles that are supposed to follow the Sochi agreement.

Russia, an ally of the Syrian government and Turkey, which is supporting the opposition factions, is closely coordinating the end of the conflict that began in Syria in 2011 and has killed more than 360,000 people.

Moscow and Ankara declared this agreement on 17 September, which stipulates that the demilitarized zone should be a width of 15 to 20 kilometers, separating the territory of the militant and jihadi factions and those under the control of the Syrian government.

This agreement, at least for the time being, ignited the specter of the Syrian government forces launching a large-scale attack on the province of Idlib and some of its surrounding areas to eliminate militant and jihadi factions.

The United Nations and non-governmental organizations feared that such a process would lead to a “humanitarian disaster” in Idlib.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad on Sunday described the Russian-Turkish agreement as an “interim measure”, stressing that the northwestern province, controlled by jihadi and opposition factions, “will return to the Syrian state”.

On one of the front lines with the Syrian army forces, located within the expected buffer zone in Idlib and its environs, opposition fighters remain on alert in tunnels and fortifications despite the abandonment of heavy weapons in implementation of the Russian-Turkish agreement.

In a military uniform, a leader of the National Liberation Front (FNL), a coalition of opposition factions active in Idlib and parts of neighboring provinces, toured the fighters, who were deployed in trenches and several locations on the strategic hill of Aleppo in the south-eastern countryside of Aleppo.

Although only a few kilometers between factions and Syrian army forces, a state of calm prevails on this front, which is part of the demilitarized zone, under an agreement reached by Russia and Turkey last month, Idlib and its surroundings surrounded a broad offensive waved by Damascus for weeks.

Under the agreement, all factions must withdraw their heavy weapons from the buffer zone, which ranges from 15 to 20 kilometers in a maximum period of 10 this month, and include the outskirts of Idlib province and northern rural side of Hama and the countryside of Western Aleppo and the northern Latakia countryside.

The Jihadi factions, headed by the Sham Liberation Organization (formerly known as Al Nusra Front), which controls two-thirds of the expected buffer zone, should withdraw completely by the 15th of this month.

The Organization has yet to determine its position on the deal.

The factions of the National Liberation Front, in turn, two days ago began the withdrawal of heavy weapons in implementation of the agreement.

From their position on Al Ais hill, which has a large column of transmission and some rooms destroyed, the opposing fighters confirm that the heavy weapons withdrawal continues until Wednesday, but that does not mean that they will not be alert and ready to deal with any possible attack.

The French news agency “France-Presse” quoted by, “Abu Walid,” a military commander of the National Liberation Front, which stated that “according to the agreed time plan we began to withdraw heavy weapons and the process continues until the tenth of this month”.

He added that “the withdrawal of heavy weapons will not affect the points of battle, and the brothers continue to immunizations and instructions to us that we will remain in these areas and will not retreat until the last drop of blood”.

A few meters away, a fighter with an AK-47 assault rifle enters a trench surrounded by sandbags from both sides.

He settles in his place and then checks his weapon.

At close quarters, fighters are hiding in a state of readiness behind fortifications overlooking the present town and its plains in front of them.

The government forces control the town of Al Hader, about five kilometers from the town of Al Ais, controlled by the Sham Liberation Organization, while other factions of the National Liberation Front (FNL) are deployed on several positions along the front lines.

The two cities are separated by a commercial crossing, where an AFP correspondent has been able to observe an active movement of cars and trucks in both directions.

The opposition factions, who fear that the implementation of the agreement is a prelude to the return of the Syrian army forces to their areas of control, are betting on the Turkish guarantor to protect them, especially after Damascus announced that the agreement is a step towards “liberating Idlib”.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said in a statement Sunday that the Idlib agreement “temporary action”, reiterated the determination of his forces to regain control over the entire Syrian territory.

The opposition military leader “Abu Walid” said that “the entry of Turkish troops to points known to everyone is strengthened day after day”, pointing to the arrival of “soldiers, tanks and heavy weapons of the Turkish brothers”.

Turkey, which has been sponsoring the Idlib agreement for weeks, has been sending military forces and mechanisms to its control posts in Idlib and its environs, which are mainly in the region under the agreement to reduce escalation.

Turkey has the task of supervising the implementation of the agreement on the part of the factions, which will practically give up its heavy weapon on the lines of defense with the regime forces.

Analysts expect Turkey to deploy heavy reinforcements to serve as a “first line of defense” from the areas controlled by opposition factions.