Round One of Idlib Campaign May Target Turkish-Backed Rebels
Fabrice Balanche
September 11, 2018
The Assad regime’s brewing offensive against Idlib, the last major rebel pocket in Syria, will take place soon. Army troops have been massing on the enclave’s border for weeks, while preparatory airstrikes and shelling have begun. Various international actors publicly oppose the imminent campaign, including Turkey, which wants to protect its local rebel proxies and long-term strategic interests in Syria. Yet Damascus and its allies in Moscow and Tehran seem indifferent to Ankara’s dissatisfaction, and they will not be deterred by other outside warnings either.
More:Round One of Idlib Campaign May Target Turkish-Backed Rebels - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
