“Putin-Erdogan” area in September 2024 | 70 casualties in acts of violence…considerable reinforcement of Turkish forces…Coalition assassinates nine jihadist commander

The “de-escalation zone”, stretching from the north-eastern mountains of Latakia to the north-western suburbs of Aleppo city running through both Hama and Idlib, has been under an “alleged” and in-name-only ceasefire agreed upon after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 5, 2020.

 

However, that region has experienced a noticeable escalation of military operations by Russian and regime forces and their loyal militias, including daily bombardment with tens of rockets and artillery shells and Russian airstrikes, which all have caused significant human losses and material damage. Meanwhile, Turkey, the “de-escalation” guarantor, seems satisfied with its “timid” bombardment of regime positions, which has not restrained this alarming military escalation which is mainly concentrated in the southern countryside of Idlib, as well as affecting east Idlib countryside, towns and villages of Sahl Al-Ghab in the north-western countryside of Hama, Latakia mountains and western Aleppo countryside.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all developments and violations against Syrian people in the “de-escalation zone” in September 2024, including the military escalation by Russian and regime forces, incidents of security disorder, attacks, deteriorating security, instability and disastrous humanitarian situation. These key developments can be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Acts of violence leave casualties

 

In September 2024, SOHR documented the death of 70 people in acts of violence in the “de-escalation zone;” they are as follows:

 

-17 civilians, including five children and three women:

 

• Five civilians, including two children and a woman, were killed in incidents of security disorder.

 

• Ten civilians, including two children and two women, were killed by regime forces.

 

• A man was killed by an explosion of old ordnance.

 

-19 rebels and jihadists:

 

• Nine jihadist commanders were killed by International Coalition Forces.

 

• Ten HTS members, including a Turkistani member, were killed by regime forces.

 

-34 regime soldiers were killed by HTS and opposition factions.

 

 

Dramatic military escalation leaves tens of fatalities

 

As a part of the recent military escalation in the “de-escalation zone,” Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham carried out a series of attacks in the past month, including four infiltration operations, targeting regime positions.

 

In September, SOHR activists documented 34 operations in the “de-escalation zone,” which left 53 fatalities; they are distributed as follows:

 

• Six HTS members.

 

• 34 members of regime forces, including four officers.

 

• Ten civilians, including two children and two women.

 

• Three members of “Jaysh Al-Nasr.”

 

• One member of “Al-Majd Corps” which operates under the banner of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operations room.

 

• A Turkistani member.

 

• One member of “Jaysh Al-Ahrar.”

 

The most violent attack was documented on September 4 when 12 members of regime forces, including a commander, were killed in an infiltration operation by special forces of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham into regime positions on Wadi Kalaz and Al-Sarraf frontlines in Jabal Al-Turkman in northern Latakia.

 

Meanwhile, regime forces committed a massacre on September 23 when five civilians, including a child and two women, were killed in bombardment on Kafriya in Idlib countryside.

 

 

67 kamikaze drones attack civil and military positions

 

Also in September, 67 kamikaze drones attacked different regime positions and other civil and military sites in the “de-escalation zone,” while opposition factions managed to shoot down two drones.

 

The drone attacks left a civilian and an HTS member dead and 16 other people, including women and children, injured, as well as causing material damages to private properties and cars.

 

 

Nearly 1,400 rockets and artillery shells hit different positions

 

SOHR sources reported ongoing bombardment by regime ground forces and their proxies in September, where regime forces and their proxies fired 1,400 artillery shells and rockets on military and residential positions in areas under the control of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and Jihadist groups and factions. The attacks targeted positions in the rural areas of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Latakia.

 

Regime attacks are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Aleppo: 300 shells and rockets hit the surrounding areas of Al-Atareb and Darat Izza cities and the villages of Kafr Nouran, Kafr Amah, Sheikh Suleiman, Taqad, Tadeel and Kafr Taal.

 

• Idlib: 500 shells and rockets hit the villages and frontlines of Bayanin, Hursh Bayanin, Sfouhen, Al-Rouwayah, Al-Fatirah, Kansafra, Maarrat Alya, Deir Sonbol, Al-Barah, Maarat Al-Naasan, Ghaniyah, Sheikh Sandyan, Fulayfel, Mantaf, Serjeh, Marblit, Kadourah, Saan, Sarmin, Afes, Musaybeen and Al-Nayreb.

 

• Hama: 250 shells and rockets hit Al-Sarmaniya, Al-Mabaqer, Al-Qarqour, Al-Ankawi, Kharbah Al-Naqous, Tel Waset, Al-Mansourah, Qastoun, Al-Ziyyarah and Al-Qahera.

 

• Latakia countryside: 350 shells and rockets hit Al-Tuffahiyah frontline, the hills of Kabanah, Deir Al-Akrad and other frontline in Jabal Al-Turkman.

 

 

Incidents of security disorder leave five fatalities

 

Also, in September, SOHR documented five incidents of security disorder in HTS-held areas in Idlib and surrounding villages. Those incidents left five civilians, including a woman and two children, dead. Here are further details:

 

• September 6: A child displaced from Al-Latamna City in northern Hama countryside was killed after being shot in Al-Karama Camps in northern Idlib countryside in HTS-held areas.

 

• September 19: Unidentified individuals strangled a woman to death in Deir Hassan camps in northern Idlib countryside within HTS-held areas, after they had stolen her money and gold jewelry.

 

• September 20: A father strangled his eight-year-old daughter to death during her visit to him in Harzah town in northern Idlib countryside, within HTS-held area, after he had asked to see her. According to reliable SOHR sources, the father is separated from the mother who lives with her family, and he killed his daughter as an act of revenge against his wife.

 

• September 20: A 90-year-old man was slaughtered with a sharp tool in Atamah camps in northern Idlib countryside, while the reasons behind the crime and the killers are still unknown.

 

• September 26: A “butcher” was directly shot dead by an unidentified gunman on a motorbike near Al-Muthalathiya Garden in Al-Qarmid area in Idlib City.

 

 

International Coalition assassinates nine jihadist commanders in Latakia countryside

 

On September 24, nine jihadists opposed to “Al-Jolani” were killed, including at least six leaders of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, in an attack by an “unknown” drone, yesterday evening, on two military headquarters in Duwayr Al-Akrad area near Kabanah hills in Latakia countryside, during a meeting they were holding. According to SOHR information, the dead are: (a Jordanian jihadist, an Iraqi jihadist and seven Syrians) belonging to “Jund Al-Islam” organization and others who are independent, and they are all opponents of “Al-Jolani” and some of them were detained in his prisons, and some of them fought HTS.

 

 

Five people killed and wounded by explosions of war remnants

 

War remnants are prevalent over large geographical areas across Syria, amid inaction by authorities and local organisations which have exerted no efforts to remove them.

 

SOHR documented in September the death of three civilians, including two children, and the injury of a woman and a child.

 

 

Child injured in gunfire by Turkish Jandarma near refugee camp

 

On September 26, a child sustained various injuries in gunfire by Turkish Jandarma, while he was near camps in Al-Zowf village in western Idlib countryside within HTS-held areas. The child was taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

 

HTS arrests five civilians for belonging to ISIS and two others for participating in demonstrations

 

The HTS General Security Service arrested seven civilians in September, five of which were arrested for “belonging to ISIS cells” and the two others were arrested for participating in demonstrations against “Al-Julani.” Further details are summarised as follows:

 

• September 13: Members of the “General Security Service” of HTS arrested a civilian two days ago for “participating in protests against HTS” and took him to an unknown destination, after he was summoned to the investigation office in the police department in Al-Atareb City western of Aleppo.

 

• September 14: The General Security Service carried out a security operation in Killay town in Idlib countryside against individuals belonging to a cell affiliated with ISIS , where they managed to arrest five individuals.

 

• September 19: Members of the General Security Service of HTS arrested a civilian a few days ago, at a checkpoint near Sarmada City northern of Idlib and he was accused of “participating in protests against HTS”, and they took him to a security branch.

 

In the same context, HTS released a civilian who was arrested for “going out on protests against HTS.”

 

 

Turkish forces send 107 military vehicles to Syria in ten days

 

In the third ten days of September, Turkish forces brought in three batches of reinforcement comprising 107 military vehicles from Turkey to Idlib. The reinforcement included military and logistical supplies, equipment, air-defence systems and soldiers. Here are further details:

 

• September 27: Turkish forces brought a military convoy comprising 20 machineries carrying military, logistic and medical equipment and soldiers trained in Turkish territory, towards Idlib through Ain Al-Baida Crossing towards Turkish checkpoints deployed at the M4 highway in western Idlib countryside and Al-Sahl Al-Ghab. Hours later, Turkish forces brought in new military reinforcement in the early hours of Friday morning to positions in the eastern countryside of Idlib in the “de-escalation zone.” According to SOHR sources, over 75 military vehicles, including personnel carriers and armoured vehicles carrying soldiers and trucks carrying military and logistical supplies, crossed into Syria through Bab Al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey.

 

• September 28: A Turkish convoy entered through Kafr Lucien Camp northern of Idlib on borders with Turkey. The convoy comprises more than 12 military and logistic machineries, and it headed towards the camp in the vicinity of Mastouma Village.

 

• September 30: Turkish forces brought a war radar in addition to an advanced Airforce defence system for long-range targets, to a military checkpoint in Idlib countryside. According to reliable SOHR sources, Turkish forces activated advanced jamming devices in Telat Al-Hadada (Hill) in northern Lattakia countryside and Telat Qastoun (Hill) in Sahl Al-Ghab north western of Hama. Moreover, the Turkish members who were brought along with the reinforcements underwent military exercises using shoulder-carried anti-aircraft rockets in Turkish territory before entering Syria.

 

 

Ongoing demonstrations and protestors insist on their demands

 

The situation in north-west Syria refers to a state of growing public discontent with Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and its leader “Al-Julani,” where demonstrations continue in the region for months and protestors insist on their demands which are manifested toppling “Al-Julani,” dismantling the unjust security system and restoring the military decision.

 

The demonstrators also concentrated on demands related to the release of detainees and expressed their rejection of the Turkish intervention in Syria, especially with the latest reports about rapprochement between Turkish and Syrian regimes.

 

It is worth noting that residents demonstrated in several cities, towns and villages in Idlib and Aleppo and on several days during September, precisely on the 3^rd, 4^th, 6^th, 11^th, 13^th, 16^th, 17^th, 19^th and 27^th of September.

 

 

As a human rights organisation, we, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), call upon all international powers concerned with Syria’s affairs and the international community to intervene immediately and put an end to the bloodshed in Syria, as well as applying international humanitarian laws and keeping civilians away from military operations and conflicts.

 

We also demand that Russia and Turkey, the “de-escalation” guarantors, comply with the ceasefire agreement and stop all violations, including intensive bombardment and airstrikes, which only affect civilians who seek a safe haven in the “de-escalation zone,” fleeing from the repression of the Syrian regime and its security services.