Syrian Army pushes more reinforcements to southern Idlib as offensive looms

Over the last week, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has pushed more reinforcements to the southern countryside of Idlib, amid reports of a new military operation in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region.

According to a field report in southern Idlib, the Syrian Army sent reinforcements to the Jabal Al-Zawiya front-lines, along with a plethora of heavy weapons and armored vehicles.

The report said the Syrian Army reinforcements came from the Latakia, Damascus, and Hama governorates; they were accompanied by local troops from the National Defense Forces (NDF).

This latest deployment of reinforcements comes just a day after a source from the army told Al-Masdar that the military was moving their heavy weaponry to the Jabal Al-Zawiya region.

The source told Al-Masdar that a new operation is approaching in the Jabal Al-Zawiya region, along with the neighboring Al-Ghaab Plain, which is partially under the control of the jihadist forces.

The mass deployment of troops to Idlib and neighboring Hama coincides with the ongoing military buildup along the ‘Ayn ‘Issa front-lines in the northern countryside of the Al-Raqqa.

It is not clear whether or not the Syrian Army is planning to launch a new operation in Al-Raqqa; however, given the recent attacks by the Turkish-backed militants there, it is highly likely that they are at least strengthening their defensive lines.