The Syrian army’s Tiger Forces and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have repelled a major attack of the joint forces of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), Jund al-Aqsa, Ahrar al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the northern part of Hama province.
Intense clashes between the pro-government forces and the terrorists were reported at Atshan, Zour al-Tibeh, Ma’ardes, Eneiz, al-Kabbariyeh and Tal al-Zaatar. According to pro-government sources, the terrorists lost up to 70 fighters and some 10 vehicles equipped with machine guns in these clashes.
Meanwhile, the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a high number of air strikes, assisting the loyalists on the ground. The air strikes were reported at Souran, Taybat Al-Imam, Helfaya, Kawkab, Ma’an, Tal al-Zaatar and Ma’ardes.
Amid significant gains of the loyalists in Aleppo city, the joint terrorist forces see the advance in northern Hama as a last chance to saive their allies encircled in eastern Aleppo. Jabhat Fatah al-Sham & Co contributed major efforts for this advance and achieved major gains, seizing a bulk of villages from the army and the NDF.
If the pro-government forces are able to repel the ongoing offensive of terrorists in the area and stabelize the frontline, the strategic position of bhat Fatah al-Sham and its allies in Aleppo will become grievous because. In this case, the support of Western states and their diplomatic pressure on the Syrian-Russian-Iranian alliance will be their only hope.
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