Syrian Forces Enter Key Idlib Town after 5 Years
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian troops entered a key town in Idlib for the first time since 2014 after intense fighting with terrorists and their rebel allies in the northwestern province.
Syrian ground troops “penetrated Khan Sheykhun in Idlib province for the first time since they lost control of it in 2014”, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the anti-government Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The latest fighting, which broke out overnight Saturday to Sunday, has already killed at least 59 militants and allied rebels as well as 28 Syrian forces, he added.
The Syrian forces have been advancing over the past few days in a bid to encircle Khan Shaykhun from the north and west and to seize a key highway.
The road runs through Idlib, connecting Damascus with the northern city of Aleppo, which the army took back from terrorist groups in December 2016.
On August 5, the Syrian army declared in a statement the start of an offensive against foreign-sponsored militants in Idlib after those positioned in the de-escalation zone failed to honor a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey and continued to target civilian neighborhoods.