12 Syrian soldiers killed in suicide bombings: war monitor

A tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday, September 4 in northwest Syria as twelve Syrian soldiers lost their lives at the hands of an Al-Qaeda linked group, marking the highest death toll in the region this year. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “12 members of the regime forces, including an officer, were killed following suicide attacks by special forces from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS), targeting regime positions in Latakia province near Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the northwest.”

An escalation by HTS led to this devastating attack, as confirmed by Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory. Despite a ceasefire agreed upon by Russia and Turkey after a regime offensive in March 2020, reported violations have continued. HTS controls significant portions of Idlib province and surrounding areas, where more than five million people currently reside.

HTS, recognized as a terrorist organization by various entities, clashes regularly with Syrian and Russian forces, shaping the ongoing conflict in northwest Syria, alongside other rebel groups supported by Turkey. Syria’s civil war, tracing back to 2011, has resulted in over 500,000 casualties, millions displaced, and severe damage to infrastructure and industry.