Syrian rebel fighters cut the Damascus to Aleppo highway on Thursday during an offensive that a monitor says killed around 200, including civilians hit by Russian air force strikes.
A day earlier, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Syrian rebel group and allied factions launched a surprise attack on government-held areas of northern Aleppo province, triggering the fiercest fighting in years. The toll in ongoing battles has risen to 132, including 65 fighters from HTS, 18 from allied factions and 49 members of regime forces.
The aim of the attack was to advance in Idlib province, taking control of Dadikh, Kafr Batikh and Sheikh Ali after heavy clashes with the regime forces with Russian air cover. The villages have strategic importance due to their proximity to the M5 international highway in attempt to cut the Aleppo-Damascus international highway.1
Syria has been gripped by civil war for more than a decade, although the intensity of the conflict had decreased in recent years.
#syria #idlib #assad #aleppo
