Assad makes rare visit to Idlib frontline

Duvar English

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Oct. 22 made a rare visit to a frontline of Syrian war, touring an area in war-torn northwestern Idlib province close to the last major bastion of Turkey-backed rebel forces.

Assad was seen surrounded by army commanders and soldiers in the town of Hobeit, which the army took in August as part of a Russian-led offensive to capture Idlib and its surroundings.

With the war now in its eighth year, capturing the Idlib area would be an important victory for Assad, who has steadily recovered control of rebellious areas with Russian and Iranian support.

"We said and continue to say that the Idlib battle is the core to decisively end chaos and terrorism in all of Syria," Assad was quoted as saying.

Idlib enjoyed a lull in air strikes after Damascus and its ally Moscow declared a ceasefire on Aug. 31 following five months of bombing which the United Nations says killed hundreds of people.

Just before the ceasefire, the offensive, aided by Iranian backed militias, made its most significant advance by seizing the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun. The campaign also expanded state control of parts of a highway that stretches from the capital Damascus to the city of Aleppo.

Under a deal with Moscow and Tehran two years ago, Turkey set up 12 military observation posts in northwest Syria aimed at reducing fighting between Assad’s forces and rebels. The Turkish military posts were caught in the crossfire due to the Syrian offensive in the region.

On Sept. 16 the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran met in Ankara and agreed to try to ease tensions in Idlib, but disagreements between the countries appeared to linger.

While Russia and Iran are Assad's most powerful allies, Turkey has been urging him to step down since the beginning of the war.

Turkey this month began an offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeast with the help of rebel forces who control swathes of territory north of Idlib.

During his visit to the frontline, Assad, with whom Kurdish forces recently reached a deal to counter the Turkish offensive, slammed Ankara's incursion.

The news of the Syrian president's visit coincided with the meeting between Erdoğan and Putin in Sochi.

In the meeting, the leaders are set to discuss the recent developments in Syria.