DAMASCUS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army foiled a series of major rebel attacks on military sites in the northwestern provinces of Hama and Idlib on Wednesday, state news agency SANA reported.
The attacks targeted areas and military sites in the northern countryside of Hama and the adjacent southern countryside of Idlib, said SANA.
The army, however, inflicted heavy losses on the rebels of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, during the showdown.
The counter-offensive is an attempt by the rebels to raise morale after their consecutive defeats in the battles with the army, according to SANA.
Notably, the Syrian official news agency accused Turkey of providing the HTS with weapons, as the army is fighting against the HTS in its last major strongholds in northwestern Syria.
These areas are included in a de-escalation zones' deal established in September 2018 by Russia and Turkey.
The deal didn't materialize as battles have escalated since late last month.
