File image.
Militants led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reached the western outskirts of the city of Aleppo on November 29 as a part of their large-scale offensive against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), codenamed Operation Deterrence of Aggression.
Moving in small, highly-mobile formations, the militants captured an abandoned military research facility right to the east of the New Aleppo suburb in the western outskirts of Aleppo. The facility is located some three kilometers away from the western entrance of the city.
The militants also continued to advance to the south of the city, reportedly capturing the strategic al-Eis hill which overlook vast parts of the governroate’s western and southern countryside. There were also claims of several twins to the east of the hill falling into the hands of the militants.
While advancing, the militants began to shell residential areas in Aleppo city to spread chaos. An indirect fire attack on the student housing at the city’s university left four civilians dead and at least six other wounded, according to Syrian state TV.
Meanwhile in the southern Idlib countryside, the militants also continued to pressure the SAA. Unverified reports said that the town of Khan al-Subul was captured by them.
Russian and Syrian warplanes continue to target the militants of HTS and its allies between Aleppo and Idlib. Meanwhile, the SAA is amassing a large force and preparing a counter-attack which will reportedly be led by the elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division.
At least 114 militants of HTS, 21 others from Turkey-backed factions and some 62 Syrian troops have been killed since the start of the offensive on November 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based pro-opposition monitoring group.
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