UN's Egeland Urges All Sides Of Possible Operation In Syria's Idlib To Spare Civilians

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published September 20, 2018 | 07:08 PM

The United Nations is calling on all of the sides that will be talking part in the possible operation in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone to protect civilians and locate their positions away from civilian facilities, UN Special Envoy for Syria Jan Egeland said on Thursday.

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) The United Nations is calling on all of the sides that will be talking part in the possible operation in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone to protect civilians and locate their positions away from civilian facilities, UN Special Envoy for Syria Jan Egeland said on Thursday.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, where they signed an agreement aimed at setting up a 9-12 mile demilitarized zone in Idlib province along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15.

Egeland said that many civilians could be in great danger because the fight against terrorism could continue despite the Russia-Turkey agreement, with more airstrikes on terrorist positions, and more hostilities between the armed groups on the ground.

"The message is really to those planning air raids and those planning offensives on the ground.

Maximum precautions must be taken so that civilians are spared. And, of course, the message to those who have influence on these groups on the ground: do not take civilians with you into this violence. This is a war crime to blend into civilian population, to locate next to civilians, whether that be schools or hospitals or any other places," Egeland told reporters at a media briefing.

He also said that the organization had been informed that Russia and Turkey would keep constant contact with the United Nations regarding the protection of civilians.

While the Syrian government has won back vast territories from rebels, the Idlib de-escalation zone remains the last stronghold of terrorists' remnants. The agreement signed by the two presidents envisages the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the demilitarized zone by October 10.