At least 18 families returned to the town of al-Hish liberated from terrorism in January 2018, while other 146 will do so successively over the next few days, Idlib Governor Muhammad Natouf said.

He added that both the agricultural lands and the urban area within the town were cleared of mines, weapons, ammunition and other terrorist remnants.

Thanks to intensive efforts by government institutions, basic electricity, water, telecommunications and health services were restored, the Governor said.

He made reference to directives by President Bashar al-Assad to facilitate the return of refugees to their cities and towns liberated by the Syrian Arab Army, in addition to implementing the slogan ‘If farmers are well, the country will be’.

The Syrian army liberated during operations between 2018 and 2020 almost half of Idlib province while the rest is still in the hands of radical groups headed by the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, inscribed on the list of international terrorism, organization taking hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields.

In the past two years, thousands of displaced families returned to their homes, particularly in municipalities of Khan Shaikhoun, currently considered the temporary provincial capital, and Maaret al-Nouman.

pgh/lcr