Syrian Opposition Members Arrested on Militant-Held Territories in Idlib, Hama

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Dozens of representatives of the Syrian opposition have been arrested on the militant-controlled territories in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Hama in a bid by the radical groups to undermine the possibility of peace talks on the Idlib de-escalation zone, Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation reported.

"According to the information of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, dozens of representatives of the Syrian opposition have been arrested on the territories controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Jabhat Tahrir Suriya [terrorist groups, banned in Russia] in provinces of Idlib and Hama," Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, head of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, said on Tuesday at a daily briefing.

"By doing this, the leaders of the radical groups expect to impede the stabilization process and undermine the possibility of peace talks between the warring parties on normalizing the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone," the general said.

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The reconciliation center urged the leaders of the illegal armed groups to stop provocations and contribute to the conflict settlement on the territories under their control.