For the third day since the ceasefire in Syria’s northwest Idlib Province, calm prevailed in a province that is densely populated with rival rebel factions, and dominated by al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front.
There have been intermittent accusations of violations since the
ceasefire began, but no airstrikes reported against Idlib, nor any
ground offensives either out of or into the province.
Not that everything is perfectly falling into place. The Nusra Front has
continued to reject the idea of withdrawing 20 km, out of the buffer
zone negotiated in 2018, but is otherwise complying with the deal.
While this ceasefire may not last forever, it is lasting for now, and
that means the people in Idlib City, and other parts of the province
that have been stuck with months of fighting, are enjoying a rare period
of calm, shopping and generally relaxing from the protracted siege.
Syria’s Idlib Province Remains Calm on Third Day of Ceasefire
Civilians find relief after months of fighting
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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