Claimed image of a Russian mercenary with pro-Assad forces in northern Hama Province

The offensive of Russia and the Assad regime in northwest Syria, shattering a demilitarized zone, enters a second week.

Pro-Assad forces, enabled by Russian airstrikes, are trying to advance in northwest Hama Province. Meanwhile, the regime continues its bombardment across Idlib and northern Hama, home to an estimated 3 million people — about 20% of Syria’s remaining population.

On Saturday, the offensive pressed for further gains in northwest Hama after capturing the towns of Qalaat al-Mudiq and Kafr Naboudeh.

Rebels said they repelled multiple assaults on the village of Karkat at the foot of the al-Zawiyah mountains (see map). They also claimed counter-attacks on Kafr Naboudeh.

But a pro-opposition activist, monitoring the battles, summarized:

Journalist Elizabeth Tsurkov writes, “I’m seeing dozens of death notices for rebels in these battles just among my personal contacts, indicating a large number of deaths overall in rebel ranks.”

Regime forces are also taking heavy casualties, but are backed by Russian mercenaries (“private military contractors”).

Russia’s English-language State media is making no mention of its essential aerial role in the offensive, let alone its ground involvement.

TASS merely headlines, “Syrian Army Reaches Idlib Border“, with the pretext that the offensive is to ensure “the safety of settlements in the Sahl al-Ghab valley” in northern Hama.

After months of escalating regime bombardment and Russian airstrikes across Idlib and northern Hama, the offensive was launched on May 6. It pushed aside the demilitarized zone declared last September by Russia and Turkey, suspending an imminent Russian-regime assault to overrun the last major opposition area in Syria.

Through its Defense Minister, Turkey — whose forces have been alongside rebels in northwest Syria since August 2016 — finally criticized the offensive on Friday. However, Ankara has taken no action to check the Russian-regime operations.

More than 150 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded in the last two weeks by the Russian-regime bombardment. At least 350,000 have been displaced since September.