Expectations of a Syrian military offensive against the Idlib Province, the last major rebel-held territory in the country, looks like it may have erupted late Thursday, with a push against the al-Qaeda held territory around al-Tamana.
The result was intense fighting which continued to escalate throughout Friday, with at least 68 people reported killed and dozens wounded in the ongoing fighting, according to reports out of the area.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 21 of the killed were civilians, who they said were slain in the course of airstrikes intended to back the military offensive. So far it doesn’t appear much territory has changed hands.
Islamist rebels in the area have urged locals in the various villages around al-Tamana to stay indoors to avoid getting caught up in the airstrikes. Locals described the airstrikes as the most intense in months.
Idlib Province is the last province held predominantly by rebels, and having been the site evacuated rebels have been sent to for months, there are a lot of different armed rebel factions in the area, and many see it unlikely there’ll be another place to withdraw to if this battle goes poorly, setting the stage or a long, bloody battle.
Good rebels taking care of civilians — advising them to stay indoors! Terrorists groups, well known for their history of brutality, history of torturing, beheading — which incidentally is not stopping, are consistently depicted in as positive light as possible. And the famous “Observatory” us still the source of information from Syria!
The translation of the story is, civilians are not allowed to run to givernment liberated areas, as they are needed as human shields. Later on, the humanitarians of the west will insist in taking humanitarian aid to such beseiged communities, which IMMIDIATY goes to terrorists, and they decide who will get food. Usually, polulation must give something for the food. Whatever valuables they have left. Their children are the property of these monsters — this is well known for years. If the aid to terrorists is conditioned by allowing civilians to evacuate the area – that would be a real help. But given the mixed purlose of Western aid, and its rather commically obvious desire to prolong the fighting. — nothing meaningfull can be done for civilians.
Splain me? Who exactly are the “rebels”? isis and their fellow traveller’s? It seems to me, the author is trying to gin up sympathy for these murdering jihadis. Where was the author when the Yazidis and Christians were brutalized by these “rebels”? The only sympathy they get is the realization they will have upon reaching “paradise” that it was all a ruse and now they are burning in hell.