A/HRC/43/57 8. The Russian Federation declared that an agreement had been reached for a unilateral ceasefire by the Syrian Government on 30 August. Despite the truce, air strikes targeting localities in Idlib and Ladhiqiyah persisted throughout September and October. At the international level, following an appeal by 10 Security Council members, the SecretaryGeneral declared the establishment of a board of inquiry to investigate the destruction of, or damage to, facilities on the United Nations de-confliction list and facilities supported by the United Nations in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic since April. 9. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that, on 27 October, the leader of ISIL, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had been killed during a raid by United States special forces in Barisha (Idlib Governorate). Meanwhile, protests against the National Salvation Government, which is affiliated to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, in parts of Idlib intensified after the terrorist group further restricted political and civil activity and imposed new “taxes”. 10. Attacks on territories held by opposition forces and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham continued in November and December. Airstrikes and shelling peaked in mid-December when progovernment forces began a major offensive against Ma‘arat al-Nu‘man, Saraqib and surrounding rural areas. The campaign enabled the Syrian army to recapture several locations in southern Idlib around the M5 motorway. Retaliatory attacks by armed opposition groups followed in southern Aleppo and Ladhiqiyah. The ground and air campaigns resulted in civilian casualties and massive displacement. Between May 2019 and early January 2020, these attacks induced the displacement of 700,000 civilians towards the northern parts of the governorate. Areas surrounding Ma‘arat al-Nu‘man and Saraqib were completely depopulated. 11. In the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic, following President Erdogan’s repeated warnings that Turkey was planning to launch a cross-border offensive against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, the Governments of the United States and Turkey agreed to form a joint operations centre and coordinate the establishment of a “safe zone”. Pursuant to the agreement, Syrian Democratic Forces and affiliated forces of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units agreed to destroy their positions and withdraw from border areas. While the Government of the United States announced that the “safe zone” agreement would be implemented in stages, Turkish authorities expressed dissatisfaction and affirmed that they would act if Turkish security interests were not addressed. 12. Following a telephone call between the Presidents of the United States and Turkey on 6 October, the White House announced that Turkey would soon be starting an operation in the north of the Syrian Arab Republic and that United States forces would withdraw. On 9 October, President Erdogan declared the launch of Operation Peace Spring by the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Syrian National Army. 3 Turkish forces, supported by the Syrian National Army, began attacking Kurdish positions in several border towns, including Tall Abyad and Ra’s al-Ayn. The launch of Operation Peace Spring and the related withdrawal of United States troops had a significant impact on the population with more than 200,000 people displaced in rapid and uncoordinated evacuations. Ayn-Issa camp, in which many women and children with familial links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) lived, was almost deserted. 13. In response, the Government of the United States declared that it would continue to support Kurdish forces and take action if Turkey took measures that were considered “offlimits”. The European Union, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel separately called on Turkey to halt the operation, while the League of Arab States adopted a resolution denouncing Turkey’s campaign. 4 The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic called for respect of its territory and deployed troops in key towns across the north-east of the country after reaching an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces. 14. To contain the escalation of violence in the north-east, on 17 October, Turkey and the United States negotiated a ceasefire to allow forces of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units 3 4 4 On 4 October representatives of various Syrian armed opposition groups announced their formal unification under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army. See A/HRC/42/51, para. 16. Resolution 8454 was adopted by the League of Arab States on 12 October 2019.