The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war for 2020. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian civil war.
January Idlib
The Syrian government continued to launch major attacks on rebel groups in Northwestern Syria ("Greater Idlib"), with Russian air support. Continued operations have caused over 200,000 refugees to flee the area, with many fleeing to Turkey.
On 11 January, Russia announced that a ceasefire had been agreed to in the area of Idlib and Northwest Syria, between Russia, Syria, Syrian rebels and Turkey. This was due to requests by Turkey for a ceasefire, in order to stop the flow of Syrian refugees into Turkey. However, some regional news outlets reported that Syria launched further attacks near Idlib, in Ma'arrat al-Nu'man District and the villages of Maar Shoreen, Talmenes, and Maar Shamshah, even after the ceasefire had officially begun.Assad regime attacks Idlib, violating third cease-fire attempt, Daily Sabah, 9 January 2020.
On 21 January, Russian warplanes targeted a farm on the outskirts of the Kafar Taal village, in western Aleppo province, killing nine civilians, among them six children, and also targeted areas in the southern and south-eastern countryside of Idlib, inflicting damage to property.Russian Airstrike Kills Nine in Syria, Including Family With Six Children. 21 January 2020. Haaretz. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
On 28 January, the Syrian Arab Army captured the strategic city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man. A war monitor and government media added that the Syrian army went into the city under the protection of heavy air strikes.
Northeastern Syria According to Anadolu Agency, on 18 January, U.S. troops blocked a Russian convoy from entering Rmelan, where the U.S. is protecting oil fields under SDF administration. Tension occurred between the two groups as U.S. soldiers asked the Russian soldiers to return to the Amuda district in northwest of Al-Hasakah Governorate.
There was a dispute in the UN Security Council over the re-authorization for border-crossing points into Syria to deliver aid. The existing authorization expired on 10 January 2020. In December 2019, China and Russia vetoed a proposal to renew all four existing crossing points, which are located in Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey; they wished to eliminate all crossing points except the ones in Turkey. By January 2020, the dispute was ongoing.
February On 1 February, four officers from the K and S units of Russia's Federal Security Service were reported killed near Aleppo.
Al-Tanf Around 16 February, an Iranian-backed proxy group reportedly approached Al-Tanf, and were then repelled by the U.S.-partnered Maghaweir al-Thowra.
Idlib and Aleppo
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), by 6 February, the Syrian Army had captured 139 (including areas captured last year) towns, villages and hilltops, including the strategic city of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, towns and villages of Al-Tah, Jarjnaz, Tell Mannas, Kafr Rumah, Khan al-Sabil, Hish, Sarmin and Afs and Turkish observation posts at Sarman, Maar Hattat, Tell Touqan, Rashidin in Western Aleppo and 4 posts inside the encircled Saraqib pocket. Humanitarian organizations called for a ceasefire in Idlib after 520,000 people had been displaced from their homes.
On 10 February, pro-Syrian government and Iranian-backed militias including Shabiha were filmed desecrating the graves and exhuming the bodies of opposition fighters and those affiliated with them, in a series of clips circulated on social media during the two days prior, in southern Idlib province, and holding skulls of opposition fighters and civilians and mocking them.Syria regime destroys graves, digs up bodies of opposition fighters. 10 February 2020. MEMO. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
On 18 February, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed her concerns over the increase in fighting in northwest Syria and blamed the Syrian government and Russia for intentionally targeting civilians.
On 20 February, Turkish-backed rebels launched another counteroffensive on Nayrab with Turkish artillery support.Turkish forces and opposition factions storm Al-Nayrab amid fierce battles with regime forces, SOHR Turkish commandos were also reported to have been operating alongside rebels in the assault on the town. A Russian UAV was reported to have been shot down during the initial shelling and rocket strikes. Russian planes provided air support to the pro-government forces and struck positions of the advancing rebels. Additional shelling on nearby towns on both the government-controlled and opposition-controlled sides of the frontline were reported, with both Russian and Turkish forces involved in air and artillery support roles respectively.Fierce battles continue in Al-Nayrab and Turkish forces shell Saraqeb and surrounding villages intensively, SOHR During the battle, rebels reportedly attempted to shoot down a Russian Su-24 using Turkish-provided MANPADS.Turkish-backed militants attempt to shoot down Russian aircraft over Idlib: video , Al-Masdar
After heavy fighting, the rebels managed to take full control of the town. However, Russian air support allowed the pro-government forces to eventually repel the rebel assault and recapture Nayrab.Turkish soldiers killed in Syria amid threats of escalation, AP, 20 February 2020Clashes in Syria's Idlib kill 27 fighters: monitor , Daily Star Lebanon, 20 February 2020 Russia contacted Turkish forces and told them to end artillery support to the rebels, which they did, according to Russia.Rusya'dan İdlib açıklaması: Ankara'yla temas kurduk, Türkiye Suriye ordusuna yönelik topçu ateşini durduruldu, BBC Turkish The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had been killed and five wounded due to an airstrike during the assault,Son dakika haberleri... İdlib'den acı haber! 2 şehit, 5 yaralı, Milliyet while also claiming the Turkish-backed rebels killed 50 Syrian government forces during the battle.Turkey Claims 'More Than 50' Syrian Forces Killed After Two Turkish Soldiers Killed in Airstrike, Haaretz The Russian Ministry of Defence said Russian forces destroyed one tank, six armored vehicles, and five other vehicles all belonging to the rebels.Breaking: Russia destroys 10 Turkish-backed militant vehicles in northern Syria , Al-Masdar As well as the two confirmed Turkish deaths, the SOHR said that about 28 rebels and 14 pro-government soldiers were killed and that some Syrian soldiers were beheaded by jihadist fighters.Nearly 45 regime and Turkish soldiers and rebels killed in shelling and violent battles on Al-Nayrab frontline, east of Idlib, SOHR
On 27 February, during the Syrian Army offensive on Idlib an airstrike against a Turkish Army convoy in Balyun, Idlib resulted in the deaths of at least 34 Turkish soldiers according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while other sources close to Turkey gave tolls of 50–70 dead Turkish soldiers,Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria, The Guardian making it the single deadliest attack on Turkish forces since its involvement in the war. Between 36 and 60 soldiers were also wounded. At around 11 a.m. on 27 February 2020, two Russian Sukhoi Su-34 and two Syrian Su-22 fighter jets started intensive bombing raids of Turkish-backed rebel forces in the southern countryside of Syria's Idlib province. According to Russian sources, after 1 p.m., Turkish troops conducted more than 15 MANPADS attacks against the Russian and Syrian jets, with some Russian aircraft allegedly suffering damage while evading the fire.
At around 5 p.m., a 400-man Turkish mechanized infantry battalion traveling in a convoy was targeted by an airstrike on the road between al-Bara and Balyun, around five kilometers north of Kafr Nabl. A light airstrike by a Su-22s halted the convoy, after which more intense bombing forced the Turkish soldiers to take shelter in the nearby buildings. The Russian jets then reportedly dropped KAB-1500L laser-guided bombs on the Turkish positions, collapsing two buildings and leaving a number of soldiers under the rubble. Russia denied it carried out airstrikes in the area and stated it made attempts to ensure the Syrian military ceased firing to allow the evacuation of the Turkish troops, but noted the Turkish forces should not have been in the area, where "counter-terror operations" were taking place, and that Turkey failed to notify it about the soldiers' presence in advance.
On 28 February, the Defense Ministry of Turkey stated that a day after 33 of their soldiers were killed in the air strike, artillery fire was launched by Syrian forces in northwest Idlib province of Syria, which led to the killing of one Turkish soldier and two others injured. The Turkish military also continued to attack Syrian Government targets in the region as well, according to the defense ministry. Turkey said it retaliated for Balyun strikes by striking 200 Syrian government targets and 309 soldiers. NATO and the US expressed support for Turkey and urged Russia to engage with UN ceasefire efforts, while the UN expressed concern at developments.
Northeastern Syria
On 12 February, government supporters blocked and pelted a U.S. military convoy passing through Qamishli, which led to a clash with U.S. troops, killing one civilian and injuring another. There is no certainty as to whether the civilian who was killed was armed or not, a monitoring group stated. Local sources and U.S. officials said that pro-Syrian government militiamen were also part of the stand off. According to the coalition spokesman Col. Myles Caggins, the coalition troops were compelled to exchange fire in an act of self-defense and that the incident is under investigation.
On 16 February, at least 55 vehicles of the U.S. military convoy were spotted entering al-Hasakah province in northeastern Syria from Iraq, according to pro-Damascus sources.
March
After the attack in northwest Idlib on 27 February, which caused the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers, Turkey declared on 1 March, that it was starting a major counteroffensive against Bashar al-Assad's government. The announcement was made by Turkey's defense minister Hulusi Akar, after which he described the decision as an attempt to prevent the Syrian government from launching dangerous attacks against Syrians, as well as to ensure the establishment of an extensive ceasefire in the region. Two Syrian fighter jets were reported to have been shot down in Idlib province by a Turkish F-16, as the offensive against Syrian forces intensifies. The pilots managed to eject from the jets and land safely at the clash site between Syrian forces and Turkish troops in Idlib province, the BBC added. Also, the Syrian media confirmed that there were no casualties in the northwestern Idlib attack. The defense minister of Turkey maintained that in addition to the shooting down of the two Syrian military aircraft in the offensive known as Operation Spring Shield, he disclosed that Turkey had killed over 2,000 Syrian government troops.
On 1 March, the March 2020 Daraa clashess began.
On 5 March, a meeting was held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after which both parties agreed to a military ceasefire in Idlib province of northwestern Syria. The meeting between the Turkish and Russian president which was held in Moscow, reportedly lasted for about six hours. Presidents Putin and Erdogan announced that the ceasefire was scheduled to commence on Thursday evening at midnight. In accordance with the ceasefire agreement, joint patrols and a security corridor were established along the vital M4 highway. On 7 March, breaking the truce, pro-government forces captured the villages of Al Burayi and Ma'arat Muqas after heavy shelling, but pulled back the following day under pressure from Russia.