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On March 17, the Syrian Army’s Tiger Forces and the National Defense Forces (NDF) continued their operation aimed at outflanking the ISIS-held city of Deir Hafer in the province of Aleppo.
The Tiger Forces and the NDF attacked ISIS units at the southern flank of Deir Hafer and liberated the villages of Khassaf and Zubayda and the nearby Khassaf Hill. Government forces also engaged ISIS terrorists in Ash Shuraymah but this village remained contested.
The goal of the advance in the area is to create a threat of encriclement of Deir Hafer and to push ISIS units to withdraw in the area. If ISIS units don’t withdraw, the army and the NDF will be able to storm Deir Hafer from four directions simultaneously. This will ease the battle for the city dramatically.
