Syrian Army Preparing for Imminent Operation in Northern Syria as Tensions Rise in Demilitarized Zone

The source said that the army dispatched the 4th Division, who are elite forces of the army, to contact lines with the terrorists in Northern Lattakia, preparing for an imminent huge operation in the region.

Tahrir al-Sham and its allies have also been fortifying their positions in the demilitarized zone, intensifying attacks on government forces’ strongholds.

The source said that the army may launch operation from Kbabana strategic heights in Northern Lattakia.

The army has been pounding the positions of Tahrir al-Sham and its allied in Northern Hama, Southern Idlib, Western Aleppo and Northwestern Lattakia in recent days to weaken their combat capabilities.

The terrorists’ refusal to implement the Sochi Agreement to establish a demilitarized zone is pushing the army to initiate its long-waited assault on militants in Idlib that had been put on hold due to the Sochi Agreement.

Colonel Mar’ei Hamdan, a Syrian military expert, was quoted by the Arabic-language website of Sputnik news agency as saying last month that Tahrir al-Sham is in control of nearly 70% of towns and villages in Idlib province and makes provocative moves against the Syrian army, adding that the army’s commitment to decrease tensions is not lasting forever.

He added that the Syrian army has so far repelled all attacks by terrorists against its positions and inflicted heavy damages on them, noting that the army is now necessitated to come out of the defensive mood to retake control of Idlib.

Hamdan said that Tahrir al-Sham will resort to a full-scale military operation against the Syrian and Russian armies soon, after rejecting the Sochi agreement last October, which leaves no room for ceasefire or disarmament anymore, and underlined that the Syrian army’s battle against Tahrir al-Sham is inevitable.

Meantime, the Turkey-backed Ahrar al-Sham and National Liberation Front (NLF) terrorist groups has also dismissed the Russian-Turkish Sochi agreement and is preparing for military operations against the army in Northern Syria, calling for a coalition with Tahrir al-Sham.

Tahrir al-Sham and other allied terrorist groups have not left the demilitarized zone two months after the Sochi agreement and have instead reinvigorated their strongholds and targeted the army positions every day.

Relevant reports said that the Turkey-backed NLF had put its gunmen on alert to launch a heavy offensive against the Syrian army in the demilitarized zone in Idlib province.