Opposition Source: Disappointed Terrorist Commanders Trying to Hide Number of Casualties in Aleppo Province

“After the number of the terrorists killed in clashes with the Syrian army exceeded 90 and the number of wounded reached hundreds, their commanders ordered that the high number of casualties should not to be disclosed in a move to avoid the loss of morale among militants,” the Arabic-language Damascus-based al-Watan newspaper quoted opposition sources as saying on Tuesday.

The sources aid that the wounded terrorists have been transferred to Turkey from Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

On Monday, the Syrian armed forces, backed up by Russian strikers, repelled a terrorist offensive near the city of Aleppo, killing over 800 militants and destroying 14 tanks.

“The Syrian army troops and Russian air force repelled a massive militant attack today. More than 800 militants were killed, and 14 tanks, 10 infantry fighting vehicles, and more than 60 technical vehicles with mounted weapons were destroyed,” Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said.

Rudskoy noted that militants continued to pull reserves from other areas in an effort to undermine the government troops’ resolve, and prevent the local population’s escape from the combat zone in an effort to use them as human shield.

“Thus, the terrorists executed four people attempting to exit through the humanitarian corridors yesterday in the Eastern part of Aleppo,” he said.

Rudskoy noted that, unlike the US-led anti-ISIL coalition active near Manbij, Russian aircraft do their utmost to avoid collateral civilian damage by not targeting populated areas within city limits.

“The Russian Aerospace Force actively supports government troops in repelling enemy attacks, carrying out selective strikes on militant positions,” he told reporters.