Largest extremist groups in Idlib reject newly-reached Russian-Turkish deal

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) was informed from different sources that several Jihadi factions rejected the Turkish-Russian agreement in Idlib, which followed the meeting of Erdogan and Putin on Monday, September 17.

(Hurras Al-Deen, Ansar Al-Tawheed, Ansar al-Din, Ansar Allah, Al-Furqan and Jund Al-Qavqz) along with other Jihadi factions operating in the ‘Sham Liberation Organization’, refused to withdraw from the front-lines of southern Idlib and northern Lattakia.

More reports from seeral media outlets said that both Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (formerly Jaysh Al-Fateh) and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) have rejected the Idlib demilitarized zone agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would be 15km to 25km (9-15 miles) wide and come into force by 15 October.

Troops from Russia, an ally of Syria’s government, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, will patrol the zone.

The Russian president said that under the deal, all heavy weaponry, including tanks, rocket launch systems and mortar launchers operated by rebel groups would need to be pulled out of the buffer zone by 10 October.

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