Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate

The Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate, also known as Operation Idlib Shield, is the second cross-border operation by the Turkish military and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army.

Background
The operation was launched following the 2017 Astana agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Operation
The Turkish intervention in Idlib Governorate led to a rift in Tahrir al-Sham, with one faction of the Islamist alliance supporting Turkey while the other opposed it. The supporters were led Abu Maria al-Qahtani, and consequently began to assassinate commanders of the anti-intervention faction, which is headed by Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

Within Syria

 * Syrian government: An unnamed source at Syria's Foreign Ministry said, "The Turkish regime must abide by what was agreed in Astana."
 * Rojava: “Any military operation led by Turkish forces in Afrin will fail as it would elicit a harsh and unexpected response,” Rezan Gilo, head of the Defense and Self-Protection Body, told Kurdistan 24.
 * Jaysh al-Thuwar: Ahmed Sultan, commander of Jaysh al-Thuwar, accused Turkey of selling Idlib to the Syrian regime, Iran and Russia and called upon the people of Idlib to resist the planned Turkish, Iranian, and Russian intervention in Idlib.
 * Tahrir al-Sham: The Tahrir al-Sham leadership stated that anyone supporting the intervention is committing treason. Nevertheless, a faction within the group is aiding the Turkish operation, which has led to factional strife within Tahrir al-Sham.

International reaction

 * 🇷🇺 Russia: The head of the Russian delegation for the Astana talks, Alexander Lavrentyev, said that Russia was ready to act as a mediator between the Syrian government and Turkey regarding the situation in Idlib.