Aleppo Battle: Stage 1

Since the beginning of the war on Syria, armed groups, on top of which “al-Nusra Front,” mainly sought to enter the heart of Damascus, considering its political importance, and take over Aleppo, as being the country’s economic capital. The very special strategy these groups used consisted of suicide-bombers assigned with targeting the outskirts of Damascus and imposing a state of terror on locals and military in an attempt to disintegrate them.
They used every booby-trapped car and targeted every possible location in the service of their scenario. They also relied on controlling the regions of Damascus countryside, through which infiltrating into the capital would be easier. Similarly, the armed groups focused on Aleppo countryside and entered its northern prefecture stretching to Turkey, the country which dropped its masks, flouted all laws and legislations, boasted of supporting armed actions against the Syrian state, and harbored gunmen. Turkey also provided training areas and required mobilizations; it is still carrying on its hostile conduct.
After taking over crossings along borders with Turkey, gunmen deployed even wider and reached the east nearby Raqqa district. They entered the southern countryside until Al-Salmiya with a view to declaring it an Islamic Emirate, as “al-Nusra” Front has repeatedly confirmed.

In the east, they ventured into a devised besiegement of state defense and scientific research center, including Aleppo International Airport. They also displaced locals, which made “al-Nusra Front” believe that the city has become in its hands and under its control.

The Syrian command then took the decision to kick off a wide military campaign in the eastern and southern countryside of Aleppo city, aiming at establishing a safe area in the vicinity of Aleppo airport and take grip of the strategic road leading to Raqqa. There, it would curb weapons supply to gunmen and open a new way to source the Syrian army through Hama. On the strategic level, the command sought to place Aleppo under a military cordon from the east and the west, which would take the city out of the military equation and give momentum to the rest of the regions.

This time, the Syrian command applied the theory of “absolute force,” where soldiers, trained on gang wars, would completely destroy the force of the gunmen which would hamper them from returning to any future battle. This would leave the armed groups to an on-the-ground defeat. The Syrian army fulfilled the three terms of this theory:

– High-level decisions that were made to destroy the strengths of the gunmen and exhaust the environment they are moving or shielding in;

– The capacity to cordon off the target region and to prevent reinforcements from reaching gunmen from outside the area or any new forces from emerging;

– A decision to bear any likely loss among lives, strengths, or weaponry.
Syrian military troops started from an ancient village on al-Salmiya-Hama road, which leads to the southern countryside of Aleppo. A Syrian reconnaissance unit informed soldiers of an ambush “al-Nusra Front” gunmen would be setting up, after they have planted many bombs along the two sides of the road.

Instantaneously, soldiers positioned behind their weapons, at the ambush spot nearby Tall Hamam village. Ominous silence prevailed. With utmost speed, they braced themselves for combat, while an engineering unit advanced towards the ambush and dismantled the bombs. After road was secured, the troops advanced towards their target, Khanaser town, situated 60 km off Seifra and defense facilities. He, who takes over it, will impose the rhythm of the battle, because this area is pivotal in terms of military supplies to regions in the south and east of Aleppo countryside; this area was under the control of many armed groups affiliated with “al-Nusra Front,” like the “Northern Storm Brigade” and others.

Morals were high and the sense of responsibility overwhelmed soldiers. The surprise factor was the better weapons in the hands of the Syrian army and which have taken aback gunmen at the thresholds of Khanaser village. The latters started to flee after the many blows they were dealt. The Syrian army was indeed using new-fangled military tactics and fighting plans which eventually bore fruits. Besides, avoiding predictable patterns amid operations was the battle’s salient characteristic.

The fierce battles during the first hours of clashes led to the fall of a huge number of gunmen.
“Al-Nusra Front” and other subordinates could not stay steadfast in Khanaser town, albeit it was considered one of gunmen’s most important fiefs.

The fall of Khanaser town was a huge moral blow for gunmen. The army applied itself to securing Mugheirat, Rasm-al-Qarh, Ar-Raheb, Roueiheb, and Shallala villages, where armed groups were preparing for halting the movement of the advancing troops. As the latters arrived, clashes erupted and military units managed to enter the villages, and petrified gunmen, who had survived, escaped.

The troops continued to advance towards the road leading to the defense and research center. Meanwhile, Rasm-al-Naql, Mouieleh, and Jabbine villages witnessed intermittent clashes between soldiers and gunmen. The Syrian army entered Tall-al-Qora and made it through Um Amoud towns. Army troops then combed the area, where Arab and foreign gunmen were killed.

In Um Amoud, army troops clamped down on gunmen. Meanwhile, locals informed the army about the presence of an armed group that was trying to redeploy and besiege the soldiers advancing into the village. The Syrian army observed the group’s movement and directly targeted a car, which was reportedly carrying gunmen from Chechen, Libya and other countries. Most of them were killed.
Army troops continued advancing unremittingly into towns like Kharboush and Qobtin. Their next target now was to lift siege off the defense and research center, besieged since months. On their way, they dismantled tens of bombs that gunmen have planted and camouflaged in natural rocks. This proved the high technologies they possessed and were provided with by countries supporting them. Eventually, the army managed to lift the siege. Most notably was the impressive scene when soldiers freed their besieged fellows, who finally sighed in relief and rapturously embraced each other.

The operation then entered stage 2, as armed groups linked to “al-Nusra Front” began to topple like domino tiles.

To be continued…