The Daily Brief 2020-02-29

This is a summary of 19 AMN articles on the following subjects: Idlib, Syria, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Ansarallah, Hazm, Jawf, Yemen, Erdogan, Afghanistan, Taliban, Putin, Hezbollah, Greece, Jaafari.

Categories covered in this brief: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Middleeast, Yemen, World-News

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-- The AMN Live Team

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Table of Contents

• Turkish-backed militants capture large chunk of territory in southern Idlib
• Turkey, Russia agree to reduce tensions in Syria's Idlib
• Turkish military propels militants to retake several areas in southern Idlib
• Israel plans to remove Iran from Syria in next 12 months: MoD
• Ansarallah forces score big advance in northern Yemen as they approach strategic city
• Jihadists capture town in southern Idlib after launching new attack
• Syrian, Russian airstrikes resume in Idlib as tensions increase with Turkey
• Ansarallah leader boasts of advanced missile arsenal, warns Saudi Arabia and UAE
• Syrian gov't denies Erdogan's claims about Turkey destroying chemical weapons facility
• US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan in 14 months after agreement with Taliban
• Erdogan calls for 30-km-deep buffer zone across northern Syria border
• Erdogan tells Putin to 'get out of our way' in Syria
• Iranian fighter killed in Turkish attack on Syrian military in Idlib
• Turkish airstrike hits Syrian military, Hezbollah positions in Aleppo
• Turkish drone strike destroys Syrian Army's air defense system: video
• Greece vetoes NATO statement supporting Turkey in Syria
• 'Idlib is inside Syria, not California': Jaafari to UN Security Council
• Turkish soldiers were embedded with militants when attacked by Syrian military: Russia
• Turkish-backed militants torture captured Syrian soldier in Idlib

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Turkish-backed militants capture large chunk of territory in southern Idlib

Published 2020-02-29 19:28:34 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:10 P.M.) - The Turkish-backed militants have retaken several areas in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region this evening after the Turkish military carried out heavy strikes on the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) defenses. According to the latest field report from this front, the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF), alongside Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), managed to capture over five towns in Jabal Al-Zawiya, putting their forces at the outskirts of Kafr Nabl. The report said the Syrian Army is providing little resistance in some of the areas, as they are lacking heavy equipment needed... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Syria

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Turkey, Russia agree to reduce tensions in Syria's Idlib

Published 2020-02-29 17:52:45 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

Representatives of Russia and Turkey confirmed their goal at consultations on Syria in Ankara to reduce the tension in Idlib while continuing to fight terrorists, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The Russian delegation included Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and representatives of the Defense Ministry. The Turkish delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, the statement says. "The sides continued discussing specific steps for achieving durable stabilization of the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone based on the full implementation of the memorandum dated May 4,... Read on ->

Tags: Russia, Syria, Turkey

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Turkish military propels militants to retake several areas in southern Idlib

Published 2020-02-29 17:17:03 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 P.M.) - The Turkish military has provided close artillery support to the militant forces in the southern countryside of the Idlib Governorate on Saturday, as the latter's fighters have managed to already capture several sites along the western arm of the Al-Zawiya Mountain region. Led by the National Liberation Front (NLF), the Turkish-backed militants have already captured three towns north of the Shashabo Mountain after a fierce battle with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Syrian Republican Guard. According to a military source from the SAA, their troops have suffered over 15 casualties while trying to defend... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Syria

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Israel plans to remove Iran from Syria in next 12 months: MoD

Published 2020-02-29 16:59:46 by News Desk in Iran, Middleeast, Syria

BEIURT, LEBANON (4:45 P.M.) - The Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, said that the Israeli army aims to remove Iran from Syria within the next 12 months. Bennett made the remarks during an interview with the Jerusalem Post on Friday morning for which he made clear that the Israeli army set a specific and important goal, that within 12 months Iran should leave Syria. The Israeli Minister of Defense stated that Iran has nothing to look for in Syria, saying: "They are not our neighbors, and they have no reason to settle with Israel, and we will remove them from... Read on ->

Tags: Iran, Israel, Syria

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Ansarallah forces score big advance in northern Yemen as they approach strategic city

Published 2020-02-29 16:32:35 by News Desk in Yemen

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) - The Ansarallah forces scored a new advance in northern Yemen on Saturday when their troops captured an imperative district in the Al-Jawf Governorate. According to the latest reports from the front, the Ansarallah forces have reached the city-center of the Al-Ghail District after capturing the mountains surrounding this area earlier in the week. The Ansarallah forces are now rapidly advancing east towards the strategic city of Hazm, which is also the administrative capital of the Al-Jawf Governorate. Making matters worse for the Saudi-backed troops in the area, primarily the Islah forces, they find themselves on... Read on ->

Tags: Ansarallah, Hazm, Jawf, Yemen

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Jihadists capture town in southern Idlib after launching new attack

Published 2020-02-29 16:06:46 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) - The jihadist rebels and their Turkish-backed allies launched a heavy attack in southern Idlib on Saturday, following a series of strikes by the Turkish Armed Forces over the weekend. According to a report from the Idlib Governorate, the jihadist rebels and their Turkish-backed allies recaptured the town of Kafr 'Awaid near the Shashabo Mountain. The report said the jihadist rebels and their Turkish-backed allies have also managed to reenter the town of Sofahan, resulting in the capture of some neighborhoods. This latest attack by the jihadist rebels and their allies comes just 24 hours after... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Syria

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Syrian, Russian airstrikes resume in Idlib as tensions increase with Turkey

Published 2020-02-29 15:21:12 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:00 P.M.) - The Syrian and Russian air forces resumed their airstrikes over the Idlib Governorate on Saturday, following a tumultuous week in which the Turkish military carried out several attacks against the government troops. According to the latest reports from the Idlib Governorate, the Syrian and Russian air forces carried out several strikes in the Saraqib area, as they attempt to defend the ground troops near the city that are susceptible to militant attacks. The situation around the city of Saraqib has become incredibly difficult for the Syrian Armed Forces, as their planned counter-offensive to retake the... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Russia, Syria, Turkey

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Ansarallah leader boasts of advanced missile arsenal, warns Saudi Arabia and UAE

Published 2020-02-29 14:58:06 by News Desk in Yemen

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:40 P.M.) - The leader of the Ansarallah movement, Sayyed 'Abdel-Malek Badreddine Al-Houthi, boasted on Friday about his group's missile arsenal and aird defense capabilities, highlighting the fact that their capabilities greatly exceed the previous government. Al-Houthi said that "despite the blockade and the lack of financial resources, his group came to build the military capabilities destroyed by the former regime, noting that "air defense missiles outperformed the weapons that the previous regime received from the Americans." Al-Houthi called for serious and responsible action in confronting the Saudi-American-UAE aggression, and he said, "We advise the Emirati and Saudi... Read on ->

Tags: Ansarallah, Yemen

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Syrian gov't denies Erdogan's claims about Turkey destroying chemical weapons facility

Published 2020-02-29 14:45:28 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:30 P.M.) - Damascus has denied Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claims about destroying a chemical weapons facility or warehouse in northern Aleppo this week. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) denied the existence of such a facility, accusing the Turkish President of "practicing a policy of misinformation." The agency noted that had the Turkish President's allegations been correct to destroy a chemical facility 13 km south of Aleppo, there would have been a large number of deaths in the surrounding areas. "Everyone knows that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed in its reports that... Read on ->

Tags: Erdogan, Syria, Turkey

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US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan in 14 months after agreement with Taliban

Published 2020-02-29 14:31:00 by News Desk in World-News

The Taliban has commanded its fighters to refrain from any attacks on the eve of the signing of an accord with the United States, Reuters quoted a spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, as saying. "The biggest thing is that we hope the US remains committed to its promises during the negotiations," Mujahid said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in turn, said that Islamabad is expecting a 'responsible withdrawal' of US military personnel from Afghanistan. "Hopefully it will set the tone for peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Saturday called... Read on ->

Tags: Afghanistan, Taliban

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Erdogan calls for 30-km-deep buffer zone across northern Syria border

Published 2020-02-29 14:13:14 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:45 P.M.) - During his presidential address on Saturday morning, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a 30-kilometer-deep buffer zone across Syria's northern border. This buffer zone, which would presumably go across a large portion of the Latakia Governorate, will allegedly be implemented by the Turkish military, with no mention of the Russian Armed Forces. "We are still working to create a 30-kilometer safe zone along our entire border line in Syria," Erdogan said. If true, this could cause major friction with Russia, as the latter's military is deeply embedded in the Latakia Governorate and it is... Read on ->

Tags: Erdogan, Syria

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Erdogan tells Putin to 'get out of our way' in Syria

Published 2020-02-29 12:28:55 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:15 P.M.) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to "get out of our way" in Syria, so that his forces can attack the Syrian military. "I asked Mr. Putin: 'what is your business there? If you establish a base, do so but get out of our way and leave us face to face with the regime," Erdogan said, speaking to reporters in Istanbul, his comments cited by AFP. Erdogan also warned that the "Syrian regime" would "pay the price" for the deaths of Turkish troops in Idlib, and said that if Russia... Read on ->

Tags: Erdogan, Putin, Russia, Syria, Turkey

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Iranian fighter killed in Turkish attack on Syrian military in Idlib

Published 2020-02-29 12:09:49 by News Desk in Iran, Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:45 A.M.) - An Iranian fighter embedded with Hezbollah in northern Syria was killed during the Turkish military's attack on the Syrian Arab Army's (SAA) positions. According to the Islamic World News, Sayyid Ali Zanjani, an Iranian fighter was killed on February 28th after the Turkish military struck the Syrian military and Hezbollah in the northern countryside of the Idlib Governorate. "The attack allegedly took place in al-Talhiyah, east of Taftanaz airport," the IWN said. Zanjani's death comes after several reports surfaced on Friday of Lebanese Hezbollah casualties in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates.  

Tags: Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, Turkey

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Turkish airstrike hits Syrian military, Hezbollah positions in Aleppo

Published 2020-02-29 11:55:13 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:10 A.M.) - The Turkish Air Force targeted a meeting between Syrian military officers and Hezbollah personnel in the Aleppo countryside on Friday morning. According to a Syrian Army source, the meeting was held between the Syrian Republican Guard and Hezbollah personnel inside the town of Zerbeh, which was captured by the SAA earlier this month. The source said several Syrian officers were killed at the meeting, along with some Hezbollah personnel. No further details were released regarding the strike. On Thursday evening and Friday morning, the Turkish military carried out dozens of attacks against the Syrian Armed... Read on ->

Tags: Hezbollah, Syria, Turkey

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Turkish drone strike destroys Syrian Army's air defense system: video

Published 2020-02-29 10:51:40 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:10 A.M.) - The Turkish military carried out a large-scale attack on the Syrian Armed Forces' positions in the Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo governorates this weekend, causing significant damage to the army's equipment and the death of a number of personnel. The Turkish military released footage Friday of their attack on the Syrian Army's positions, showing their drones hitting armored and technical vehicles, along with installations and air defense equipment. In one such video, the Turkish military's drone can be seen striking the Syrian Army's Pantsir S-1 air defense system (video below), which was supplied to Syria by... Read on ->

Tags: Syria, Turkey

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Greece vetoes NATO statement supporting Turkey in Syria

Published 2020-02-29 10:11:44 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey, World-News

The Permanent Mission of Greece to NATO on Friday evening vetoed a statement that the alliance was preparing to make in support of Ankara, following the recent killing of 33 Turkish troops, Greek newspaper Vima reported, citing information from Greek sources. According to the newspaper, the foreign minister of Greece, Nikos Dendias, issued direct instructions to representatives to use a veto if the text of the joint statement does not include a Greek proposal to refer to compliance with the March 2016 EU-Turkey declaration on refugees and migrants. The Greek demand was reportedly met with resistance by a number of... Read on ->

Tags: Greece, Syria, Turkey

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'Idlib is inside Syria, not California': Jaafari to UN Security Council

Published 2020-02-29 01:20:00 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:00 A.M.) - Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Dr. Bashar Al-Ja'afari, told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that the Syrian Arab Army's (SAA) operation in Idlib is a response to Turkey's violation of the September 17th, 2018 Sochi Agreement, which called on the withdrawal of all extremist groups from the deescalation zone in northwestern Syria. During the emergency meeting at the UNSC, Dr. Ja'afari justified the Syrian military operations in Idlib, as he accused Turkey of harboring Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) inside the governorate. Dr. Ja'afari discussed U.N. Article 51, which the... Read on ->

Tags: Idlib, Jaafari, Syria

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Turkish soldiers were embedded with militants when attacked by Syrian military: Russia

Published 2020-02-29 01:04:47 by News Desk in Syria, Turkey

Turkish troops were acting inside “combat units” with jihadist militants in Idlib province when they were targeted by a Syrian government airstrike on Thursday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The airstrike was carried out when the Syrian Army was repelling a large-scale offensive by terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in Syria, inside the Idlib ‘de-escalation zone,’ the Russian military said on Friday. Turkish servicemen inside the combat units of terrorist groups came under fire from the Syrian military on February 27 near the town of Behun. The Defense Ministry said that the Russian Reconciliation Center for... Read on ->

Tags: Russia, Syria, Turkey

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Turkish-backed militants torture captured Syrian soldier in Idlib

Published 2020-02-29 01:00:19 by News Desk in Syria

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:45 A.M.) - The Turkish-backed Faylaq Al-Sham militant group was filmed this week torturing a captured Syrian soldier in the Idlib Governorate. Based on footage released by the militants themselves, the Faylaq Al-Sham captured the Syrian soldier and began recording their abuse of the unarmed man. https://twitter.com/peshmergaswe/status/1233524784430010368?s=20 Not long after the first video released, another one was released showing a Faylaq Al-Sham fighter, who was identified as Fadi Al-Sultan of Al-Tah, repeatedly hitting the soldier in a vehicle. https://twitter.com/vdcnsy/status/1233477225040752641?s=20 While some accounts claim the soldier was later executed, it has not been confirmed.

Tags: Idlib, Syria, Turkey

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