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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Opposition Factions Blow up Bridges in Idlib ahead of Syrian Regime Offensive

People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes in Idlib, Syria. (Reuters)

Opposition factions in Idlib blew up two key bridges in an attempt to impede a Syrian regime offensive on the northwestern province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday.

The bridges over the Orontes River linked areas of neighboring Hama province, under regime control, to opposition-held territory in Idlib, the Britain-based rights monitor said.

"They were the two main bridges in the area, but there are others," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The bridges were located in the Al-Ghab plain, which straddles Hama and Idlib provinces and could be one of the first targets of any regime offensive.

Regime forces have been massing around Idlib province for weeks, particularly in Al-Ghab, which was once a key farming area.

"The opposition factions have seen the intense activity on the regime side, with the arrival of tanks and armored vehicles," Abdel Rahman said.

"The factions are reinforcing their positions in anticipation of a military operation."

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