Following a series of advances by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and counter-attacks by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the situation in the Rastan pocket was stabilized as the SAA and local militants reached a temporary ceasefire and agreed to re-launch negotiations on a reconciliation deal.
The SAA launched an advance in the area on April 15. However, by April 18, government forces had lost momentum and had been forced to take up defense. One of the key reasons behind this situation is problems with the operation planning and a lack of elite troops on this front.
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