other parts of Syria.
Assad forces, heavily backed by Russia and militias loyal to Iran, drove the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents of
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) out of the strategic town of Khan Sheikhun this week, and captured most of its
central areas, where up to 1 million people used to live. Around 700,000 of them have been forced to
abandon the town.
- Who are the fighting parties?
It is a complicated mix on both sides. The Syrian army is leading the push, with hefty military support from
Russia and Iran-affiliated militias. They want to drive out a hodgepodge of Islamic militants and other
groups opposing Assad’s rule since 2011.
Last January, HTS managed, through rounds of fierce fighting with other militant and opposition groups, to
control vast areas in Idlib province, including the provincial capital and the border crossing with Turkey at
Bab al-Hawa.
HTS is the strongest group in the northwest, but it formed alliances with other jihadi groups including the
National Liberation Front (Turkish-backed rebel alliance), Hurras al-Din (HTS offshoot), and the Turkistan
Islamic Party.
Damascus and Moscow use the jihadis’ presence in the area to justify the upsurge in the military operations.
The Syrian army aims to drive out Islamic
militants and other groups opposing Assad’s
rule (Getty)- Why is Khan Sheikhun important to Assad and Russia?
The town’s location is crucial in Assad’s bid to recapture Idlib. Taking Khan Sheikhun would be an
important gain for Moscow and its ally into the northwestern region, where Moscow has helped Assad to
turn the tide in the eight-year conflict since stepping up its intervention in 2015.
It would cut the strategic highway between Aleppo and Damascus. It would also intensify the pressure on
Turkey to remove its military observation posts set up in the area due to a demilitarised deal signed off
nearly a year ago by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian president Vladimir Putin to stave
off a Syrian military advance against Idlib.
Analysts say Turkey seeks to undermine Assad’s push and restore calm in and around Idlib. Erdogan sees
stability in the region as a chance to turn the table on the Kurds near Turkey’s border