Against the backdrop of the refusal of the militants to observe the cease-fire reached between Russia and Turkey, and Turkey’s refusal to exercise control over the withdrawal of terrorist forces, Russia issued an ultimatum to both parties – to ensure that all existing agreements are implemented before the end of the month, EDNews reports citing Bulgarian Military News.
Otherwise, the Russian side will consider such actions a violation, and, obviously, this will entail the further release of Idlib and Aleppo from terrorists, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.
This was reported by Al-Masdar and Aviapro news agencies.
“The Russian armed forces gave the militants in Idlib until the end of March the opportunity to leave all areas around the M-4 highway (Aleppo-Latakia highway). According to reports, all militant groups, including forces supported by Turkey, must leave the M-4 highway and its environs. If the militant forces do not leave the area of the M-4 highway, the Syrian Arab army, together with the Russian military, will resume the offensive in Idlib province. Given the recent build-up of Syrian army forces in southern Idlib, it looks like they will focus on the two strategic cities of Jisr al-Sugur and Arih, which are located along the M-4 highway. Jihadist rebels from the Incite the Believers coalition have already rejected a Moscow agreement calling for the immediate withdrawal of all militants, so in all likelihood, militants will not withdraw from the M-4 motorway by the end of March,” Al-Masdar News reports.
It is noteworthy that, against the backdrop of the Russian ultimatum, Turkey began to draw down its heavy offensive weapons to Idlib province, in particular, it reported on tanks, artillery mounts, multiple launch rocket systems, etc.
We recall that yesterday in the village of Makhambel in the Syrian province of Idlib, unidentified forces attacked a Turkish convoy and according news agency Lenta.ru Turkish soldiers were killed.
Before two days ago Syrian armed opposition formations, which refused to comply with the ceasefire in Idlib province, put forward additional forces to the front line.
Analysts believe that Islamists are preparing for a counteroffensive. Moreover, threats are increasingly being heard among them against the Russian military police patrolling along the M-4 highway, near the positions of jihadist groups.
Also, on March 7 Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev, head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria had reported that militants in the Idlib de-escalation zone violated the ceasefire regime introduced on March 6 19 times a day.
