Armed groups speaking against the Syrian regime took control of the largest district of Idlib-Maarret-En-Nuuman.
Since November 27, armed groups are fighting with the forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime in the north of the country, continuing the offensive in the east and southeast of Idlib.
In the morning, November 30, armed groups took control of more than 50 settlements, including the Center of Maarret-En-Numan, which is the largest area of the province.
The forces of the regime supported by Russia established control over the Maarret-En-Numan in January 2020, violating the agreements reached in Astana and Sochi.
-Historical settlement of the Ottoman Empire: Maarret-En-Nuuman
MAARRET-EN NUUMAN, located 70 kilometers from the border with Turkey, is known for its historical buildings from the time of the Ottoman Empire, including caravanserais, mosques and madrassas. In October 2012, the district went under the control of the opposition.
The strategic value of the area is intensified due to its location on the M5 highway, which connects Aleppo, Idlib, Hamu, Homs and Damascus with Jordan. However, the same track made it the constant goal of attacks of the regime. As a result of large -scale shelling in November 2019, about 300 thousand civilians were forced to leave their homes and escape to the Turkish border.
– violation of the agreements
Idlib became one of the most attacking zones of Syria. In 2015, its center was controlled by the opposition. At a meeting in Astana on May 4-5, 2017, Turkey, Russia and Iran agreed on the creation of four de-escalation zones, including the Idlib province, units of Lazkiye, Hama, Aleppo, North Homs, East Guta in Damascus and the south of the country.
However, the regime forces and the group supported by Iran with the help of Russian aviation captured all zones except Idlib. Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, fleeing attacks, migrated to the northern regions close to the Turkish border.
Despite the signing of the Sochi memorandum between Turkey and Russia on September 17, 2018, Idlib attacks did not stop.