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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

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38 Syrians Killed in Idlib, Dar'a, and Hama, 8,000 Foreign Fighters Rejected by their Countries

February 22, 2019 

Editor's Note:

The following news stories are just examples of the daily horrors of war in Syria. Readers can find more detailed daily news stories at the sources below as well as many other sources in the internet. 

 

Destruction of Syria, file, February 22, 2019 Al-Hoal refugee camp in northeastern Syria, file, February 22, 2019

 

The following are news stories from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website (http://www.syriahr.com/en/):

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38 were killed on February 20, 2019, including 4 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and 34 other people

3 citizens joined yesterday the convoy of casualties of the Syrian revolution.

SOHR, 21/02/2019

In Idlib Province, a child died affected by injuries he had in rocket shelling by the regime forces at the Automated bread furnace area in Khan Shaykhun city in the southern countryside of Idlib.

In Daraa Province, a young man from Sheikh Meskin town in the northwestern countryside of Daraa died affected by injuries he had in a landmine explosion near his home in the town.

In Hama Province, a woman was killed in shelling by the regime forces on areas in al-Lataminah in the northern countryside of Hama.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that gunmen dressed as the Syria Democratic Forces raided a house of one of the citizens in al-Tayyana town in Deir Ezzor countryside, where they took him to the area’s desert, tortured him, and shot him in his foot then they fled, and sources of the Syrian Observatory said that the man was found dead

the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored clashes today evening, Tuesday, near Koniko gas field and the wells of Khesham Desert in the countryside of Deir Ezzor province, between the Syria Democratic Forces against gunmen believed to be cells of the “Islamic State” organization, amid information about human losses, while the Syrian Observatory learned that a force of the SDF raided yesterday evening, Monday the 18th of February 2019, and under a cover of helicopters of the International Coalition, the villages of Daman and Al-Hajanah near Al-Busayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

this security campaign resulted in the fall of human losses, where 2 Iraqi persons were killed in Daman village, and a man and his wife also of Iraqi nationalities were killed in Al-Hajanah village, in the same context, the SOHR learned that the International Coalition has carried out an airdrop in Al-Hilwah village near Al-Busayrah in the east of Deir Ezzor, where a prominent Iraqi security official in the “Islamic State” organization was killed, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that a member of the “Islamic State” had detonated himself using an explosive belt yesterday night, at one of the offices of the Syria Democratic Forces in al-Kasra town in the countryside of Deir Ezzor

The Syrian Observatory also documented the death of 30 civilians including 11 children and 11 women, they were killed in the heavy shelling that targeted the countryside of Hama and Idlib, also the violent shelling killed 5 members of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham north of Hama.

While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of a member of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham affected by injuries he had in yesterday’s shelling by the regime forces on areas in al-Sakhr village in the northern countryside of Hama.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the death of 2 members of the Syria Democratic Forces after being shot by unidentified gunmen of ISIS cells riding a motorcycle, in al-Sabha village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

And 4 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in shelling and clashes against the “Islamic State” Organization and the factions.

***

The regime forces shell the eastern and northern countryside of Idlib and Hama after intensive targeting increased the human and material losses

SOHR, 22/02/2019

Regime forces renewed the shelling targeting areas on the outskirts of Saraqib and the deserted battalion area and its outskirts in the eastern countryside of Idlib, coincided with their targeting for areas in Sarmin town in the same sector, and other areas in al-Khwyn town in the southeastern countryside of Idlib, also the regime forces targeted areas in al-Lataminah town in the northern sector of Hama countryside, which caused material damage but no information about casualties, and this comes within the continue violations in the Russian – Turkish truce areas in the 4 provinces, and in the demilitarized areas of Putin – Erdogan after cautious calm in the demilitarized area and in areas of the Russian – Turkish truce, since after midnight of yesterday, interrupted by the fall of shells launched by the regime forces after midnight around Morek in the northern sector of Hama countryside, and Bidama town in the countryside of Jesr al-Shughur, which injured one person in Bidama, and places in the abandoned battalion area in the eastern countryside of Idlib, while the regime forces shelled areas on the outskirts of Saraqib town.

The Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored more shelling and targeting within the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce and the demilitarized zone agreed upon between Putin and Erdogan, where the regime forces targeted by more shells, places in the vicinity of Shahranaz and Sharia in the north-western countryside of Hama, and Al-Lataminah town in the northern countryside of Hama, while the SOHR documented the death of a citizen due to the rocket shelling carried out by the regime forces today, Thursday, on Saraqeb town in the eastern countryside of Idlib, and with more casualties, it rose to 269 at least, the number of people who were killed since Erdogan – Putin agreement, 115 civilians including 43 children and 22 women, were killed in shelling by the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them, among them 5 were killed in the fall of shells launched by the factions, and 72 fighters were killed in deferent circumstances within the demilitarized area since Putin – Erdogan agreement, including 14 of the “Jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, who were killed in ambushes and clashes including a commander at least, they were killed in ambushes and attack by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, and 82 members of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago, that the violations continue in areas of the Russian – Turks truce and in Putin – Erdogan demilitarized areas, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored rocket shelling by the regime forces targeted areas in Khan Shaykhun city in the southern countryside of Idlib, and the villages of al-Hwaiz and Sharia in Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama, in conjunction with shelling by the regime forces targeted areas in the towns of Anadan, Bayanoun, and Hayyan in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and in the same context, the regime forces shelled places in Kabani area in the northeastern countryside of Latakia, amid their continued shelling for areas in the towns of al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized area.

While several rocket shells fell on areas in the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra in the northern countryside of Aleppo -which are inhabited by Shiite citizens- causing material damage, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 2 young men from al-Sharia village in Sahl al-Ghab at the northern countryside of Hama, where they died affected by injuries he had in shelling by the regime forces using mortar shells for areas in the village earlier, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published today morning, that violations continue in the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored clashes on the dawn of today Thursday, the 21st February, in al-Masasneh area in the northern sector of Hama countryside, between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against factions operating in the area, in an attempt by the regime forces to advance, but no information about casualties until the moment, and in the same context, regime forces renewed the shelling after midnight of yesterday on places in al-Lataminah town north of Hama

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Ground shelling by the regime forces renews and violates the Russian – Turkish truce through targeting more areas

SOHR, 22/02/2019

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored cautious calm in the demilitarized area and in areas of the Russian – Turkish truce, since after midnight of yesterday, interrupted by the fall of shells launched by the regime forces after midnight around Morek in the northern sector of Hama countryside, and Bidama town in the countryside of Jesr al-Shughur, which injured one person in Bidama, and places in the abandoned battalion area in the eastern countryside of Idlib, while the regime forces shelled areas on the outskirts of Saraqib town, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored more shelling and targeting within the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce and the demilitarized zone agreed upon between Putin and Erdogan, where the regime forces targeted by more shells, places in the vicinity of Shahranaz and Sharia in the north-western countryside of Hama, and Al-Lataminah town in the northern countryside of Hama, while the SOHR documented the death of a citizen due to the rocket shelling carried out by the regime forces today, Thursday, on Saraqeb town in the eastern countryside of Idlib, and with more casualties, it rose to 269 at least, the number of people who were killed since Erdogan – Putin agreement, 115 civilians including 43 children and 22 women, were killed in shelling by the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them, among them 5 were killed in the fall of shells launched by the factions, and 72 fighters were killed in deferent circumstances within the demilitarized area since Putin – Erdogan agreement, including 14 of the “Jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, who were killed in ambushes and clashes including a commander at least, they were killed in ambushes and attack by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, and 82 members of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago, that the violations continue in areas of the Russian – Turks truce and in Putin – Erdogan demilitarized areas, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored rocket shelling by the regime forces targeted areas in Khan Shaykhun city in the southern countryside of Idlib, and the villages of al-Hwaiz and Sharia in Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama, in conjunction with shelling by the regime forces targeted areas in the towns of Anadan, Bayanoun, and Hayyan in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and in the same context, the regime forces shelled places in Kabani area in the northeastern countryside of Latakia, amid their continued shelling for areas in the towns of al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized area, while several rocket shells fell on areas in the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra in the northern countryside of Aleppo -which are inhabited by Shiite citizens- causing material damage, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 2 young men from al-Sharia village in Sahl al-Ghab at the northern countryside of Hama, where they died affected by injuries he had in shelling by the regime forces using mortar shells for areas in the village earlier, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published today morning, that violations continue in the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored clashes on the dawn of today Thursday, the 21st February, in al-Masasneh area in the northern sector of Hama countryside, between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against factions operating in the area, in an attempt by the regime forces to advance, but no information about casualties until the moment, and in the same context, regime forces renewed the shelling after midnight of yesterday on places in al-Lataminah town north of Hama

***

As their countries refuse to receive them and put them on trial, a completely mysterious future surrounds the fate of more than 8000 fighters of western, Arab, and Syrian nationalities in SDF camps

SOHR, 22/02/2019 

As the final long scene of the existence of ISIS east of Euphrates almost ended, the future scenarios follow in front of the world, which does not care to the future of the area. And while the rest of ISIS members and leaders are waiting to surrender or to be eliminated if they continue to refuse to surrender, many hypotheses and questions still pose themselves on the scene, with the American insistence on leaving the east of Euphrates area and withdrawing their military forces from it, the fate is still unknown for ISIS members, who are more than 8000 members and leaders in the prisons and jails of the Syria Democratic Forces, of Syrian, Arab, regional, Moroccan, Asian, and western nationalities, where reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the refusal of their countries to take them or receive them puts the case in a closed box, where the Syria Democratic Forces has no ability to issue execution rules or lengthy sentences, at a time where there is no enough prisons equipped to serve the penalties, also the instability of the area makes the situation even worse, due to the Turkish threats of a military operation east of Euphrates, and while the public opinion talks about the foreign members; the media is forgetting more than 5000 members of the Syrian Forces, where releasing them may turn most of them to sleeper cells, and keeping them in detention is a ticking time bomb.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources, confirming that the remaining hundreds of people in areas of presence of the rest of the organization’s members, were able on Thursday, the 21st of February 2019, to get out of the farms in which the rest of the organization members are located between al-Baghuz area and the east bank of Euphrates River, and the Syrian Observatory learned that among the about 500 people who have gotten out there are leaders and “Amirs” of foreign and western nationalities, and after searching them they were transported to centers of the Syria Democratic Forces, while it is expected that the remaining civilians and families of ISIS members who got out in this batch would be relocated to camps in the southeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, and that the Syrian Observatory published this morning that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from reliable sources that tens of families of members of the “Islamic State” Organization and its fighters were transferred and handed over to the Iraqi side.

The details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: about 150 families of members of the “Islamic State” Organization including several of its members, were transferred and handed over to the Iraqi army, where the families were transported aboard trucks of the International Coalition and then handed over to the Iraqi army, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the start of transferrin of new batches from the “Islamic State” Organization’s enclave; towards the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, where reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that new batches have gotten out of ISIS enclave in the last few hours, and they were moved towards camps supervised by the Syria Democratic Forces in the southeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the batches consist of civilians who were in the pocket of the “Islamic State” Organization and families of members of the Organization, while the Syrian Observatory’s reliable sources added that more than 260 members of the “Islamic State” Organization are still in the farms between al-Baghuz and the east bank of Euphrates River, and in tunnels in the area, where most of the remaining members (who are of foreign nationalities) still refuse to surrender to the Syria Democratic Forces or the International Coalition, and prefer to fight to the end.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the last hours bombings by the International Coalition, targeted areas in the vicinity of farms where the former Organization members are located, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the 180 members who were evacuated today, Wednesday, within more than 2000 persons, from Al-Baghuz farms in the east of the Euphrates, have been transported by the International Coalition via 2 trucks to a destination that is unidentified so far, and the majority of the 180 members who have been transported, are of non-Syrian nationalities including 2 Emirs (one of them is Egyptian and the other is Moroccan), and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that it monitored the details of the transport operation by trucks of the International Coalition, for the “Islamic State” organization’s  families and members, as well as other civilians from al-Baghuz farms east of Euphrates, where the Syrian Observatory’s sources said that about 26 trailers loaded with more than 2000 people, have gotten out of farms between al-Baghuz area and the east bank of Euphrates River, and among them there are at least 150 members of the “Islamic State” Organization, while the most of the rest of them are of the Organization’s families including Syrians, Iraqis, Central Asians and European nationalities.

The Syrian Observatory learned that many of the Organization’s families of foreign nationalities who got out today said that “they do not regret joining the ranks of the Islamic State Organization and that they will transfer the culture of the Organization to the countries from which they came,” the sources added to the Syrian Observatory that several members of the “Islamic State” Organization and their families are still in tunnels in al-Baghuz farms and they did not get out, and they are more than 200 persons, where it is expected for them to exit tomorrow, Thursday, as happened yesterday night and several members of the Organization were transferred according to the same reliable sources, also warplanes of the International Coalition targeted the farms area yesterday by about 25 airstrikes, without knowing the reasons for these strikes until the moment, while the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that more than 50 trucks of the International Coalition began to leave area of the farms between al-Baghuz and the east bank of Euphrates, after it entered yesterday in order to complete the undeclared deal with the “Islamic State” Organization, where members from the “Islamic State” Organization, their families, and other civilians was transferred within these tightly covered trucks.

It is not known if there are still ISIS members within the area of those who rejected the deal, it is also not known whether a number of members of the Organization were transferred in the darkness of last night, after media delegations returned to al-Omar field, and the Syrian Observatory published last night that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the trucks which entered Al-Baghuz’s orchards where families of the “Islamic State” organization, other citizens and ISIS members, are still present, and reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory that the International Coalition warplanes flew over the area in conjunction with carrying out airstrikes on the area, along with the sound of heavy gunfire there, where the airstrikes are actually surprising as they coincided with the entry of trucks to the area, and it is not known whether they were fabricated in order to secretly transport members of the organization under the night’s darkness, amid fears of such probability to happen, especially after sending the media away where they returned to Al-Omar Oilfield, or they targeted members of those who refused to get out and surrender according to the undeclared deal, and the sources added to the Syrian Observatory that only 4 families managed to get out of the area of these orchards.

While no other citizens or ISIS members were observed leaving the area, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was informed by reliable sources that tens of International Coalition trucks entered the orchards between al-Baghuz area and the east bank of Euphrates River east of Deir Ezzor, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: between 50 to 60 trucks tightly covered entered the orchards area to transport either the remaining members of the “Islamic State” Organization who are there or families of ISIS members and the civilians who are there, according to a deal undeclared until the moment, and in the same context; the Syrian Observatory learned that it is expected for the end of ISIS as a dominant force in its former enclave in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside to be officially announced on Wednesday, by the International Coalition and the American “director”, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that negotiations are taking place between the Syria Democratic Forces and the remainder of the “Islamic State” Organization, who requested a safe passage to an unknown area believed to be towards the Iraqi Desert.

However, the request was rejected by SDF leadership, where the negotiation process continues to force the remainder members of the Organization to surrender, and sources of the Syrian Observatory reported that if no agreement was reached, the Syria Democratic Forces would carry out a military operation against them within the few hours or next days, and the Syrian Observatory published on Monday evening that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued negotiations between the “Islamic State” organization and the Syria Democratic Forces in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory that no agreements or results have been reached so far, in the same time, the SDF are continuing sweeping operations within the tunnels, positions and former headquarters of the organization in its former enclave in the east of the Euphrates, and the SOHR published today, Monday, that amid anticipation for the official announcement of the end the “Islamic State” Organization’s control in east of Euphrates by the International Coalition.

The Syria Democratic forces; the Syria Observatory for Human Rights monitored from several reliable sources that the Syria Democratic Forces continue sweeping operations in areas from which the “Islamic State” Organization has recently withdrawn, in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and reliable sources confirmed that the continuous sweeping operation and the insistence of the forces in the area on sweeping all the areas, tunnels, sites, and former headquarters have prompted the postponement of the official declaration of full control of the east of Euphrates and the end of ISIS as a dominant force in the area, while the sweeping coincides with continues negotiations between the Syria Democratic Forces and the “Islamic State” Organization, where sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the remainder members of the Organization requested a safe passage to unknown area believed to be the Iraqi Desert, but the request was rejected by the SDF leadership, while the Syria Democratic Forces agreed to introduce food aid to more than 300 members of the Organization with the civilians and their families who remain in a farm camp between al-Baghuz and the east bank of Euphrates River and in tunnels in the area, in exchange for releasing hostages and captives from the Syria Democratic Forces by the Organization. 

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