Last month Russia and Turkey agreed to a last-ditch effort to avert a Syrian government offensive in Idlib province.
The agreement called for a demilitarized zone extending about 15 to 20 kilometers and the withdrawal of all militants and heavy weapons. But by the final deadline, most rebels refused to leave, prompting Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem to warn of potential military action.
CGTN’s Xu Dezhi reports.
To discuss the latest turn in Syria’s civil war:
- Ruwan Al-Rejoleh is a Middle East and Northern African analyst.
- Dmitriy Frolovskiy is a Russian writer and political activist.
- Metin Gurcan is a security analyst and columnist for Al Monitor’s Turkey Pulse.
- Danny Makki is a Syria analyst and journalist.
For more:
At least 106 chemical attacks have taken place in Syria since September 2013, a joint investigation by @BBCPanorama and @BBCArabic has revealedhttps://t.co/ApP0rG7JLE pic.twitter.com/tIoEspnzRC
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 15, 2018
Syria buffer zone deadline passes, with hardliners apparently unmovedhttps://t.co/msA7jTONRL pic.twitter.com/8y5ErRayVx
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 15, 2018