Syrian Army Repels Militants’ Assault, Recaptures Aleppo’s Al-Zahra Neighborhood

Military sources said that the Syrian Army defended successfully its positions against the rebel groups’ offensives in the Northern Aleppo city, and retook full control over al-Zahra Association Quarter in a subsequent offensive.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated group of al-Nusra Front, in coordination with their allies from Jeish al-Mujahiddeen and Jund al-Aqsa, detonated a tunnel bomb at the Orphanage inside the Al-Zahra Association Quarter of Aleppo City on Monday morning, wounding four Syrian soldiers.

Following the detonation of the tunnel bomb, the al-Qaeda affiliates captured the Great Prophet Mosque of Aleppo in Northwest al-Zahra, resulting in their subsequent advance to the dilapidated Air Force Intelligence building located to the East of the mosque; however, this advance did not go as planned for the rebel fighter, as the Syrian army launched counter-attack operations and pushed the militants back.

Sever clashes erupted between the Syrian soldiers and rebels of Ansar al-Shari’ah ( al-Nusra Front is its largest unit) in the Air Force Intelligence building, Aleppo Orphanage, Aleppo Courthouse, and Building 11, leaving a number of dead fighters on both sides.

Nusra fighters’ surprise assault was eventually repelled by the Syrian army, National Defense Forces (NDF), and the predominately Palestinian “Liwaa Al-Quds” (Jerusalem Brigades) after six hours of non-stop fighting inside the al-Zahra Association Quarter.

Not long after the Al-Qaeda affiliates withdrew from the al-Zahra Association Quarter, the Syrian air force pounded their positions at the al-Layramoun District, destroying a number of armored vehicles used by the rebel forces.