Fighters form the Ahrar al-Sham movement have killed 14 regime army troops in Aleppo province, pressing advances as they took control of five villages in the northern countryside, a monitoring group reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported violent clashes in the town of al Sfireh in the northern eastern countryside of Aleppo between the Islamic movement and regime forces.
The clashes resulted in the death of 14 soldiers from the regime forces and at least five fighters from Ahrar al-Sham, the Observatory said.
The movement last month lost its commander Hassan Abboud, along with another 44 senior commanders in an explosion that hit their secret meeting. On the first day after announcing the battle named “ Zaeir al Ahrar” (Freedom Roar) in Aleppo, the group took control of five villages.
The Observatory said this battle, as described in a statement by the movement, aimed to “strike three sites of the army which are al Adnaneyi, Al-Zeraa, Al-Foqaneyyi and Zeraa Al-Tehtaneyyi in order to open a road to attack the defense bases from which the helicopters take off in order to drop barrel bombs onto Aleppo, Idleb and Hama."
In that case, the statement said, the main supply route for the regime forces in Aleppo will be cut off.
The movement’s fighters could destroy two helicopters trying to take off from the defense bases, the Britain-based monitoring group said.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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