Russian warplanes renewed their airstrikes today, Sunday, on areas in the Idlib countryside, as part of a clear escalation campaign targeting the region. They recorded new strikes on the western outskirts of Idlib city, causing injuries among civilians. The White Helmets organization, supported by the West, which conducts rescue operations in areas controlled by the Syrian opposition, reported that warplanes, identified by tracking centers as Russian Sukhoi jets, bombed a vegetable market in the town of Jisr al-Shughur while it was crowded with shoppers ahead of Eid al-Adha, resulting in at least nine deaths and 30 injuries.
Witnesses and rescue workers stated that fighter jets also bombed villages in the Jabal al-Zawiya area and the western outskirts of Idlib city, which are located within a buffer zone established by Russia and Turkey, ending major battles about five years ago.
More than four million people live in the overcrowded northwestern region controlled by the opposition along the Turkish border. During the recent rounds of talks with Ankara mediated by Russia, Damascus urged Turkey to end its large military presence in the last stronghold of the Syrian armed opposition. The Turkish forces stationed in the area prevented both Russia and Damascus from launching a final assault to regain control of the enclave.
Tensions have escalated in recent days, with Damascus sending reinforcements along the front lines to confront Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main jihadist opposition group in the area, which it holds responsible for escalating attacks on army positions. Diplomatic sources told Reuters that Moscow's patience with Turkey, the main backer of the armed opposition, is running thin, stating that Turkey is not doing enough to expel the jihadists from the buffer zone.
