HMEIMIM, Syria. Aug 8 (Interfax) - Militants controlling parts of Syria's Idlib and Hama provinces have arrested opposition activists, the Russian military said.
"The Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides has been informed that leaders of the illegal armed groups Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and Jabhat Tahrir Suriya have arrested dozens of Syrian opposition representatives in the militant-controlled parts of the Idlib and Hama provinces," the center's director, Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, said at a briefing on Tuesday.
"The leaders of the radical groups are thus hoping to thwart the normalization of the situation and disrupt the opportunity for peace talks between the conflicting parties over the settlement of the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone," Tsygankov said.