Militants Shell Settlements in 2 Syrian Provinces in Past 24 Hours – Russian MoD

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Militants have violated ceasefire regime in the Syrian provinces of Hama and Latakia over the past 24 hours, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin, said on Friday.

"Militants have bombarded the provinces of Hama… and Latakia in the Idlib de-escalation zone in the past 24 hours", Kupchishin said.

Kupchishin added that as of Thursday, a total of 57,900 people have been granted amnesty by the Syrian authorities over evading military service.

Over the past week, terrorists have reportedly increased the number of attacks on settlements in the north of the province of Hama, in Aleppo and in mountainous Latakia.

READ MORE: Russia, Turkey Should Increase Patrols in Syria’s Idlib — UN Special Envoy

Militant groups are making unsuccessful attempts to attack the positions of the Syrian army. The Syrian government forces and the air force, in turn, have intensified strikes against terrorists in Idlib, attacking warehouses, firing positions and advanced observation posts of the Nusra Front.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have cleared two settlements of terrorists on the border between Hama and Idlib provinces, a Syrian military source told Sputnik earlier.

Syria has been in the state of war since 2011, with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations fighting the Syrian armed forces to topple the government of President Bashar Assad.

Russia, alongside Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been assisting Damascus through supporting the struggle against terrorist groups, providing humanitarian aid to local residents and facilitating the return of refugees.

READ MORE: UK Police Arrest 'Syria-Related' Man on Suspicion of Terrorism

Nusra Front is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.