Defying dangers, residents of Idlib protest against Assad

beirut — In cities and towns across Syria’s opposition-held province Idlib, residents poured into the streets on Friday to demonstrate against President Bashar Assad’s government in defiance of an expected offensive to retake the territory.

In the provincial capital, Idlib city, and in towns including Kafranbel, Dana, and Al Bab, demonstrators filled the streets after Friday prayers and chanted against Assad, raising the tri-colour green, white and black flag that has become the banner of Syria’s 2011 uprising, activists said.

The demonstrations were reported on the activist-run sites Aleppo Media Centre, Orient News, and other social media pages.

Wissam Zarqa, a university teacher in Idlib, said demonstrators were flying the tri-colour flag to rebut the government line that Idlib is dominated by the Al Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee group.

The province is now the final shelter for close to 1.5 million displaced Syrians that fled fighting in other

parts of Syria. Many say they will not return to government-ruled areas.

Government and Russian forces bombed towns and villages in the province earlier this week, killing more than a dozen civilians and damaging two hospitals. But the strikes eased on Wednesday amid talks between the opposition’s regional sponsor Turkey, and Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are slated to meet on Monday, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“We will continue our efforts with Iran and with Russia . ... (and) on international platforms as well,” said Cavusoglu in comments carried live on Turkish television. Turkish media said the two leaders would meet in the Russian city of Sochi.

Turkey has warned strongly against military action, saying it would trigger a humanitarian catastrophe. Its military and defence chiefs visited border areas on Friday to inspect troop reinforcements sent to its Hatay and Gaziantep provinces.