Intense Clashes In Eastern Aleppo As Syrian Army Advancing To Raqqah Province

Pro-governnment forces, led by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces, have recaptured the villages of Drobyah al-Kabira and Jirah Kabir south of the Jirah Military Airport in the eastern Aleppo countryside. The villages had been controlled by ISIS.

By capturing Drobyah al-Kabira village, the SAA started advancing via the road heading to the strategic ISIS-held town of Maskana de-facto located between the provinces of Raqqa and Aleppo. It’s a mid-term goal of the government advance in the area.

Yesterday, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq published photos showing clashes with the SAA in the vicinity of the Jirah Military Airport. Today, ISIS has claimed that it managed to destroy an SAA tank with an ATGM in the village of Khawaldeh in the eastern Aleppo countryside.

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According to unconfirmed reports, the Desert Hawks Brigade have moved to the Ithriyah-Aleppo road area, where it may launch an attack eastward to capture the road of Tabqah and to siege ISIS in the area of Maskana.

They may also launch an attack in the southern direction in order to reach the Al-Sha’ir gas field and to siege ISIS in the Al-Shomria Mountains and Al-Aqirbat.