Syrian Army Officer Killed By Sniper In New Greater Idlib Ceasefire Violation (Video)
On September 15, an officer of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was killed as a result of a violation of the ceasefire in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The officer, identified as Captain Jamal Abbas, was shot by a sniper near the government-held town of Saraqib in the southern Idlib countryside. The sniper was likely a member of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, or one of its allies.
The deadly sniper attack was a blatant violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago.
As an initial response, the SAA artillery pounded several positions of HTS and its allies across the frontline in the southern Idlib countryside. No casualties were reported, however. A more serious response by the army and its allies will likely come in the upcoming few days.
In the first week of September, HTS and its allies launched a series of attacks from Greater Idlib, killing and wounding a number of Syrian service members.
The response to these violations came on September 8, when a wave of Syrian and Russian strikes hit key positions of the terrorist group, including a drone training camp, in the western Idlib countryside. The fierce strikes killed more than 120 terrorists and destroyed dozens of makeshift suicide drones.
The situation in Greater Idlib has been unstable ever since the ceasefire first entered into effect on 5 March 2020. This could change in the upcoming few months. Turkey, whose forces have been preventing the SAA and its allies from resuming their operations in the region, is currently working to restore ties with Damascus with help from Russia.
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