Syrian Army begins amassing troops in southern Aleppo for new offensive

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has begun amassing troops in the southern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate as they prepare to launch a new offensive at this axis near the Idlib Governorate.

According to a military source in Aleppo, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) sent reinforcements from the provincial capital, Damascus, and Homs to the southern countryside of the province. The reinforcements have reportedly arrived at the key town of Al-Hadher.

The source told Al-Masdar that the Syrian Arab Army is preparing to launch an offensive around the key town of Tal Al-‘Eis, which they briefly captured during their late 2015 offensive. The Syrian Army would later lose the town when Jaysh Al-Fateh launched a big counter-attack from Khan Touman.

This new Syrian Army offensive is expected to begin in conjunction with their upcoming operation to capture the strategic mountaintop town of Kabani. The Syrian Army has already launched a number of attacks on Kabani, but they have yet to begin their main assault on the town.

With a new front opened up in northwestern Syria, the Syrian Army troops in northwestern Hama should receive some relief as most of the jihadist and Turkish-backed rebels are currently concentrated at this axis.