Battle to Liberate Idlib, Syria Begins
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
AMN News and SouthFront provide some of the most reliably accurate reports on Middle East countries – notably where US-led aggression is ongoing.
On Tuesday, both news agencies reported that the battle to liberate Idlib province from US-supported terrorists was launched.
Syrian and Russian aerial operations began hammering sites in southern and western Idlib held by al-Nusra and other US-supported terrorists – citing military and pro-government sources.
AMN News “at least 10 Russian Sukhoi jets” launched over 70 airstrikes on areas infested with terrorists – targeting “the Jisr Al-Shughour District, including the towns of Al-Shughour, Mahambel, Basnqoul, Zayzooun, Ziyarah, Jadariyah, Kafrdeen, Al-Sahn, Saraseef, and a dozen others.”
Syria’s long-awaited ground offensive should start in days, fighting expected to be fierce – weeks, maybe months, needed to win the battle of Idlib, the last remaining major US-supported terrorist stronghold in the country.
The aerial campaign began despite a large illegal Turkish military presence in Idlib.
Al Zazeera, the BBC, Washington Post, and other anti-Syria media falsely claimed Tuesday Russian and Syrian airstrikes killed civilians, including children, citing terrorists called “rebels” and other anti-government sources.
Siding with Washington’s imperial agenda, pro-Western UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura ignored the importance of liberating Idlib from US-supported terrorists, warning of a potential “perfect storm” in the province.
The UN also called on Russia, Syria and Iran not to attack Idlib – instead of responsibly supporting the essential offensive to free its people from terrorists holding them hostage as human shields.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected UN warnings, saying “(i)t goes without saying that” terrorists in Idlib must be eliminated, adding:
Cutthroat killers in the province greatly concern Damascus, Moscow, and Tehran – a “stronghold of terrorism…(these elements) entrenched…there,” destabilizing the country, preventing restoration of peace, threatening Russian personnel on the ground.
On Tuesday, Israel terror-bombed the town of Masyaf in Western Hama province, its second aerial attack in days, following many others earlier, surely many more to come in cahoots with Washington and NATO.
According to a Syrian military source, its air defense downed “a number of hostile (Israeli) missiles…forc(ing) its…warplanes to flee.”
Ahead of the Syrian/Russian Idlib offensive, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the Trump regime and its imperial allies supplied al-Nusra and other terrorists in the province with heavy weapons – delivered through Ukraine and Eastern European countries, allied with US/NATO/Israeli aggression in Syria, a statement saying:
“It is obvious that the United States and its allies are supplying a huge amount of ammunition and weapons, using third countries such as the Eastern European countries, Ukraine, and the Balkan countries, to fuel the Nusra Front and Daesh (ISIS).”
“The United States is supplying arms to other terrorist groups. They act through intermediaries and play an important role in the black market in the illicit arms industry.”
Large supplies of weapons to US-supported terrorists are also coming through Jordan and Turkey (the Erdogan regime supplying attack drones and likely other weapons), both countries bordering Syria on the south and north respectively.
Liberating Idlib in the weeks and months ahead won’t end conflict in Syria – not as long as US and allied forces occupy northern and southern territory.
Trump regime hardliners vowed to stay in the country as long as Assad remains president.
The struggle to liberate Syria has a long way to go. Fighting could continue for years – endless violence and chaos as in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya because Trump regime hardliners and their imperial allies reject peace and stability anywhere in the region.
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