The Turkish-backed National Syrian Army (SAA) has redeployed many units from its positions in the Euphrates Shield (ES) areas and Afrin to the frontlines against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in northern Hama, the Arab Turkey media outlet reported on May 18.
Citing several opposition sources, the Turkey-based outlet said that hundreds of militants from the NSA’s 3rd Corps, the al-Sharqiyah Mujahedeen Brigade and the Badr Martyrs faction arrived in the northern Hama countryside in the early hours of the morning.
The pro-opposition news outlet, Eldorar, released a short video showing dozens of Turkish-backed militants armed with heavy weapons arriving in northern Hama.
The deployment of these reinforcements came a few hours after the announcement of a temporary ceasefire agreement that covers Hama, Idlib and Lattakia.
“The cease-fire will take effect at mid-night, for 72 hours,” a source in the SAA told the Russian news agency, Sputnik, without providing any additional information.
The National Front for Liberation (NFL) had rejected the ceasefire, calling on the SAA to withdraw from all the towns it has captured, so far. Radical militants also launched a barrage of Grad rockets at the Russian Hmeimim airbase on the Syrian coast.
Despite all of these violations, Moscow and Damascus appear to be committed to the supposed ceasefire agreement for unclear reasons.
Turkey is clearly taking advantage of the ceasefire by allowing its militants to reinforce the positions of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the NFL in northern Hama. This step will for sure make the SAA’s mission harder then before.
