Syrian Army placed on high alert as jihadists remain inside buffer zone

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has been placed on high alert across the Idlib buffer zone after the jihadist rebels refused to withdraw from the designated de-escalation areas. 

According to a military source in the city of Mhardeh, many units from the Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces (NDF) have been ordered to the front-lines and told to remain on high alert.

The military source said that the Syrian Arab Army has been observing the jihadist movements over the last 24 hours and targeting any militant that attempts to infiltrate their positions across the Hama-Idlib axis.

Last night, Syrian Army snipers eliminated two members of the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) that were spotted trying to move towards the military’s lines.

The Syrian Army snipers reportedly used their thermal rifles to kill the two rebels that were likely attempting to plant bombs along the government roads near the Idlib buffer zone.

The jihadist rebels and their allies often conduct late night operations where they slip behind the government’s lines and plant IEDs and mines along these roads; these roadside bombs can kill up to a dozen soldiers at a time, especially if it is a transport vehicle.