Russian Military Says Detected 35 Attacks In Syrian Idlib De-Escalation Zone Over 24 Hours

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2019) The Russian military has registered 35 attacks by militants in Syria's provinces of Aleppo and Latakia, located in the Idlib de-escalation zone, in the course of the past 24 hours, Maj. Gen. Aleksei Bakin, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian Reconciliation, said.

"Thirty-five shelling incidents were registered on August 14," Bakin said late on Thursday, adding that illegal armed gangs operating in the Idlib de-escalation area continued to violate the Syrian ceasefire.

Bakin added that the militants attacked eight settlements in the Aleppo province and 15 settlements in the Latakia province.

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian military bought 500 food kits to residents of the settlement of Billin in the Hama province, according to Bakin.

Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups as well as militant and terrorist organizations.

Russia, alongside Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire in Syria. Moscow has also been assisting Damascus through supporting the struggle against terrorist groups, providing humanitarian aid to Syria's residents and facilitating the return of refugees.