At least 25 soldiers killed since memorandum on Idlib demilitarized zone came into effect

More than 530 ceasefire violations, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Syrian soldiers, have been documented since an agreement to set up a demilitarized zone in the Idlib province was signed last September, Lieutenant General Vladimir Savchenko, chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Friday.

"Since the memorandum to establish a demilitarized zone was signed on 17 September 2018, the reconciliation center has documented more than 530 violations of the ceasefire agreement. As a result, 25 Syrian soldiers were killed, 67 people were wounded, including five civilians," he said.

In the past 24 hours, the Russian reconciliation center carried out a humanitarian mission in Al-Gasbiya, Homs province, handing out 450 food sets. In the town of Syrian Qadim, Aleppo province, local civilians received fresh bread.

The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The center’s officers regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones.