The Russian Aerospace Forces have been propelling the Syrian army’s advances against terrorists in the northern part of Hama province.
On October 18 and 19, the Syrian army’s Tiger Forces and the National Defense Forces (NDF) conducted a series of military operations against the joint forces of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), Jaysh Al-‘Izza and Aharar al-Sham that resulted in taking control of the areas northwest (including the so-called “Russian Rocket Battalion Base”) of Ma’ardes and the road between Ma’ardes and Kawkab.
In total, the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered some 35 air strikes on terrorist targets in northern Hama, killing and wounding up to 50 terrorists.
Supported by Russian air strikes, the Tiger Forces and the NDF won few clashes with the joint terrorist forces. However, the recent advances cannot be described as significant success. The pro-government forces are just shaping the battlefield prior to a full-scale push on the strategic town of Souran.