Syrian Army’s 4th Division heads to northwestern Hama after Kabani battle ends
The Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Armored Division has departed the northeastern countryside of Latakia after a 45-day-long battle at the key town of Kabani.
According to a military source in Damascus, the 4th Armored Division, including most of their elite 42nd Brigade (Ghiath Forces), have been redeployed to the Kafr Naboudeh front in northwestern Hama.
The 4th Armored Division will reportedly take part in the Syrian Arab Army’s new push to secure Kafr Naboudeh’s eastern flank, which is currently exposed because the jihadist rebels control the imperative hilltop of Tal Sakher.
When asked if the battle for Kabani is over, the source said the high command has shifted their attention to northwestern Hama, where the Syrian Army is attempting to retake several sites in order to reopen the main road between Sqaylabiyeh and Mhardeh.
The majority of the Syrian military’s casualties during the battle of Kabani were from the National Defense Forces (NDF) and reconciled rebels.
During the attacks on Kabani, these units often tried to break through the well-fortified defenses of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP). All of the Syrian military’s attacks on the mountaintop town of Kabani were ultimately repelled by the jihadist rebels.
For now, it appears that the battle for Kabani is over, which is a decisive victory for the jihadist rebels. If the jihadists lost Kabani, the Syrian Army would have a downhill battle to the key city of Jisr Al-Shughour in western Idlib.
