The plan to occupy Idlib

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization, have conspired to send 400 Daesh fighters from Raqqa to Idlib, in the midst of the ongoing operation to retake the terrorist organization’s “Syria stronghold.“

SDF forces embedded these camouflaged terrorists between civilians fleeing Raqqa to the northwestern opposition-controlled Idlib to join pre-existing terror cells in the province, where they are planning to carry out terrorist attacks, in coordination with the Syrian regime, Russia and the U.S., the likes of which had taken place in the past and had claimed the lives of many civilians in the aftermath.

It is expected that these terror cells will be more active in the coming phase, in response to the planned military intervention in Idlib.

Meanwhile, there hasn’t been any development concerning the joint project between the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Russian army in Idlib. As Iran and the Assad regime try to sabotage the political process in Astana, the U.S. and Russia reached an understanding outside the Astana framework. According to a Syrian opposition member who took part in the Astana talks, “There hasn’t been any development yet when it comes to the possibility of Turkey deploying troops in the town of Daret Izza, in Aleppo’s countryside.“

A cease-fire was announced in the southern Syrian provinces of Daraa and Quneiytra after the U.S. and Russia reached a deal on the margins of the G20 summit, despite the continuing campaigns of aerial bombardment in these areas.

The announcement comes shortly after these two regions were excluded from the de-escalation zones deal reached during the Astana process. Other countries said to be part of the cease-fire deal include Jordan and Israel.

The U.S. has taken the initiative again in Syria in a bid to try to draw it out from under Iranian influence with the help of Russia, with which the U.S. is also trying to avoid any potential conflict in the future.

The main divergence in the two countries’ Syria policy remains the question of Assad stepping down.