Syrian Rebels Deny Reports of Weapons Transfer from Buffer Zone in Idlib

As the deadline for the withdrawal of weapons and extremist forces from the buffer zone in Idlib approaches, Syrian rebels have denied reports of the implementation of this agreement. Russia, a supporter of Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, a supporter of several of Assad's opponents, reached an agreement in mid-September that aimed to prevent attacks on Idlib while also facilitating the withdrawal of extremist forces and heavy weapons from areas in northern Syria. The 'National Liberation Front,' which is backed by Ankara, welcomed the Russia-Turkey agreement, but its spokesperson emphasized in an interview with AFP that they have not yet withdrawn any of their heavy weaponry from any of the areas under their control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, stated that the 'Faylaq al-Rahman' group, which has up to 10,000 forces, has withdrawn from three cities in the agreed buffer zone. However, a spokesperson for this group also denied this report in an interview with AFP. Two weeks ago, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin agreed during a meeting in Sochi to establish a 'weapons-free zone' in areas controlled by Syrian rebels in the north of the country. Under this agreement, Turkey will strengthen its observation posts in Idlib, and the weapons-free zone between Assad's forces and the rebels will cover a distance of 15 to 20 kilometers. Another agreement reached between the Russian and Turkish leaders involves the cleansing of rebels from extremist figures and forces. Prior to the Putin-Erdoğan agreement, reports indicated that Syrian government forces and their allies were preparing for large-scale attacks on Idlib, the last major area under rebel control. These reports had faced repeated warnings from the United Nations, with senior UN officials warning of a potential humanitarian disaster in Idlib. The Turkey-Russia agreement has received international approval, but observers say that implementing it is not easy. Major parts of the agreed buffer zone in Idlib are under the control of extremist groups or 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham,' which is composed of former al-Qaeda members and is said to be the most significant armed force in Idlib. Other parts are controlled by the 'National Liberation Front' and some other rebels. 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' has yet to respond to the agreement to establish the buffer zone, and it is unclear whether they will comply. Approximately three million Syrian citizens reside in Idlib and its neighboring areas, with about half of them having moved north from other regions of Syria.