Syria: Major Offensive by Radical Militant Groups in Aleppo Claims 89 Lives and Captures Towns
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Damascus, Nov 28 (NationPress) The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel organization, in coalition with allied factions, has launched a substantial offensive against Syrian military outposts in the western region of Aleppo province, which has resulted in territorial advancements and 89 fatalities, as per a war monitoring agency.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated that the HTS and groups from the al-Fatah al-Mubin operations center gained control of 21 villages, towns, and strategic locations within a span of less than 12 hours since the commencement of the operation, referred to as "Deterring Aggression", according to reports from Xinhua news agency.
It was noted that in the clashes on Wednesday, 89 combatants lost their lives, comprising 52 fighters from the HTS and its allied factions, alongside 37 soldiers from the Syrian governmental forces.
Moreover, five Syrian soldiers were taken prisoner by the HTS, which also captured weapons depots, armored vehicles, and heavy weaponry, as stated.
In retaliation to the offensive, Russian warplanes executed airstrikes employing vacuum missiles targeting the rear positions of the factions near the city of Atarib, while Syrian government forces bombarded Atarib, Darat Izza, and adjacent villages with hundreds of artillery shells and rockets, the observatory reported. It added that Syrian and Russian warplanes conducted 26 airstrikes during the confrontations.
The day prior, the military escalation by the HTS led to a considerable displacement of civilians from Atarib and surrounding villages in western Aleppo, according to the observatory.
It is essential to note that the HTS, previously known as the Nusra Front, is classified as a terrorist organization by Syria, Russia, and several other nations.
