Army takes more strategic hills in northern Syria

The Syrian forces have taken control of several strategic hills and heights in Aleppo Province in a new major advance in the northern region.

Syria’s official news agency SANA said the forces retook the hills of Dahret al-Qar’a and Dahret al-Qandila and all the heights of al-Tamora village, southwest of the town of Zahra in the northern countryside of Aleppo on Friday.

Media reports said over a dozen terrorists were killed in the offensive.

The recapture of the hills expands the army’s control over areas surrounding the recently-captured towns of Nabbul and Zahra and enables the troops to cut off terrorists’ supply routes from Turkey.

Meanwhile, al-Ahed news website said the Syrian forces launched a military operation to purge the town of Haritan in the northern countryside of Aleppo of the Takfiri militants.

The Syrian forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have recently made major advances against Takfiri militants north of Aleppo.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on February 10 that the government forces will soon take full control of the militant-held areas of Aleppo but predicted a tough battle for Aleppo City.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which flared up in March 2011, has reportedly killed some 470,000 people and left over one million injured.