Militants Blocked Humanitarian Corridor From Idlib De-Escalation Zone - Russian Military

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2019) Militants blocked the humanitarian corridor from the Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria, Maj. Gen. Alexey Bakin, head of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation, said at a briefing on Sunday.

"Illegal armed groups in the Idlib de-escalation zone blocked the work of the Abu al-Duhur humanitarian corridor, preventing refugees from exiting through the Syrian government-owned checkpoint," he said.

On Saturday, the Syrian state television reported that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, formerly known as Nusra Front (banned in Russia), did not let civilians leave the parts of Idlib Province under its control.

On August 31, the Syrian army unilaterally halted the fighting in the Idlib de-escalation zone. The truce was announced by the Russian military, which also called on the leaders of armed groups operating in Idlib to stop staging provocations and to join the peace process instead.