Russian Jets Pound Syria’s Idlib Province After Failed Diplomatic Push To Prevent Offensive

Russia on Saturday launched the “most violent” air strikes in weeks in Syria’s Idlib Province, hitting about five dozen targets in the country’s last major rebel-held bastion. It comes after the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia failed to reach an agreement during a tripartite summit to prevent what appears to be an imminent Syrian regime-led offensive to retake the northwestern territory. About sixty percent of Idlib province is controlled by the Al-Qa’ida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whereas the Turkish-backed “National Army” dominates most of the remaining region. Ankara, which currently is home to about 3.5 million Syrian refugees, has pressed Moscow to prevent a military operation that could cause a mass exodus of civilians towards the Turkish border. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of people previously took refuge in Idlib to escape warring in other parts of the country, and the United Nations has warned of a potential “bloodbath” that could displace up to 800,000 residents and create yet another humanitarian catastrophe. The Assad regime has consolidated its grip over much of Syria over the past year, following successful missions to recapture strategic areas surrounding the capital Damascus, in the southwest and in the Golan Heights along the border with Israel.