Syrian Army Liberates New Town in SE Idlib (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian armed forces entered the town of Al Halba in the southeast of Idlib province, after pushing the militants of al-Nusrah Front terrorist group from their outpost on Saturday night.
According to SANA, the town was fully liberated from terrorists.
On Saturday, militants of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, supported by armed opposition members from the so-called Syrian National Army, attempted two attacks on positions held by pro-government forces near the town of Jarjanaz of the Idlib governorate. Syrian troops and their allies forced the enemy to retreat, killing at least 30 militants and destroying two vehicles.
According to the Al Akhbar newspaper, terrorists and armed opposition groups who support them had violated, yet another ceasefire in Idlib, declared in the beginning of the week. They expected to take advantage of bad weather and regain control over territories surrounding the city of Maaret Naaman on the strategic Damascus-Aleppo highway.
On December 19, the Syrian army launched an offensive in the Idlib province. Within a few days, Syrian troops recaptured 46 inhabited areas. They regained control over 320 square kilometers of areas which had been controlled by the al-Nusra Front terror group and armed groups collaborating with it.
Idlib is the only region in Syria which remains under the control of militant groups. In 2017, the northern de-escalation zone was set up there, with militants who refused to lay down arms in Eastern Ghouta and Syria’s southern regions moving there. There are 12 observation posts of the Turkish army in that province.