?Displaced Syrians arrive at a crossing point in the northern countryside of Hama, Syria, on Sept. 25, 2019. Hundreds of families returned to their homes in the countryside areas of the provinces of Idlib and Hama in northwestern Syria on Wednesday, state news agency SANA reported. (Str/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of families returned to their homes in the countryside areas of the provinces of Idlib and Hama in northwestern Syria on Wednesday, state news agency SANA reported.
People left areas they sought refuge in several areas in northern Syria and returned to the southern countryside of Idlib and the adjacent northern countryside of Hama province, said SANA.
It said the people returned after the government secured "suitable circumstances" through preparing basic services for the people to resume their lives.
On Sept. 15, thousands of people returned to their areas in the aforementioned region after the army removed land mines planted by the rebels.
Late last month, the Syrian army agreed to observe a cease-fire in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country.
The Syrian army said that it reserves the right to respond to any violation by the Nusra Front, the backbone of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is the most powerful rebel group in Idlib.
This is the second truce announced in Idlib this month. On Aug. 1, a Russian and Turkish-backed cease-fire was reached but quickly collapsed.
Since then, battles flared and the Syrian government forces were able to make notable gains, capturing key areas in the southern countryside of Idlib and the adjacent northern countryside of Hama province.
The new cease-fire aims at halting the fighting in Idlib between the Syrian army and the al-Qaida-linked groups.
The de-escalation zone deal was established by Russia and Turkey last September.
Under the deal, Turkish observation points were set up in some areas in Idlib and Hama. However, the deal failed to materialize as the Nusra Front refused to withdraw and fighting continued.
