Aleppo: Syrian Army Deploys Troops in Kuweires Airbase for Al-Bab Military Operations

“Hundreds of Syrian soldiers are now in Kuweires airbase 40 kilometers to the east of Aleppo city to start al-Bab military operations against the ISIL terrorist group,” the Arabic-language media quoted an unnamed military source as saying.

The source said that the Syrian army has sent around 1,000 reinforcement troops to the Eastern countryside of Aleppo to start the operation that aims to create a safe zone in areas in the vacinity of Kuweires airbase, including al-Bab.

“The Syrian government troops’ military operation in al-Bab region is also meant to block further advances of the Turkey-backed terrorists in al-Bab region,” the source added.

On Wednesday, a military official said that the Syrian army troops and their allies are prepared to attack terrorists’ positions in al-Bab, adding that the army would not allow Turkey-affiliated forces to attack the strategic city.

“The Syrian air force has dropped thousands of leaflets over al-Bab city and called on people to leave the city as the Syrian army and its allies are preparing to start military operations to liberate the city from ISIL control,” the official told FNA.

He said that the Syrian government has also informed people in al-Bab through the social media that their city will be taken back soon.

The official said that while the Turkey-affiliated terrorists of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) have reached to regions 1km from al-Bab and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are also stationed in the Eastern parts of al-Bab, the Syrian army and its allies have deployed their forces at the air force college.

“The Syrian army and its allies will not allow the Turkey-affiliated forces to attack al-Bab,” he stressed.

Last week, a military source said that the Syrian army troops are about to launch a massive operation against ISIL positions in the towns of al-Bab and Deir Hafer in the Eastern part of the province to end the Takfiri terrorists’ rule in the region.

“A large number of fresh forces have been dispatched to the Eastern countryside of Aleppo to start military operation against the positions of ISIL to create a larger safe zone around Kuweires airbase,” the source said.

“Thousands of army’s special forces have been deployed in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo to take part in the liberation operation of al-Bab and Deir Hafer,” he further added.

“After recapturing Manbij from ISIL, al-Bab an Deir Hafer have turned into the largest bases of ISIL in Aleppo province,” the source said.

Experts believe that army’s operations in al-Bab and Deir Hafer that are entrance gates to Raqqa province signify the government forces plan to start an attack on Raqqa soon.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces started a large-scale offensive on Raqqa, codenamed Angry Euphrates, a couple of days ago.

A prominent Syrian analyst said in mid-October that the army and its allies will move to free the strategic town of al-Bab after winning full control over Aleppo city.

“End of the Aleppo battle will focus efforts on al-Bab which is the most important and last ISIL base in Northern Aleppo province, a city that despite tough clashes between the warring sides, neither the Kurds nor the Turkish forces and their allies from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) will dare to enter, given the warnings Russia and Iran have given to the Turkish officials,” Kamal Fayyadh told FNA at the time.

He underlined the high importance of the battle in al-Bab, and said liberation of the city would prevent Erdogan’s control over regions between al-Rai and al-Bab and strengthen the Syrian army’s control over its Northern borders.

“The future confrontation with the ISIL in Raqqa and Deir Ezzur as well as liberation of al-Bab means seizing back more Syrian and Iraqi territories from the ISIL hand,” Fayyadh said.