Syrian Army advances at the strategic town of Al-Rashiddeen in southern Aleppo

The Syrian Armed Forces and their allies are currently advancing south towards the Idlib Governorate after they captured the integral villages of Khan Touman, Al-Qarassi, and Al-Khalidiyah from the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham this past weekend.

However, not all of the pro-government forces are advancing south towards the Idlib Governorate’s northeastern countryside; instead, the Syrian Arab Army’s 43^rd and 154^th Brigade of the 4^th Mechanized Division are pressing north towards the provincial capital of the Aleppo Governorate, where they are currently seeking to take control of Al-Rashiddeen.

In addition to cutting all of the supply lines to the Al-Rashiddeen District, the Syrian Arab Army’s 4^thMechanized Division – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Aleppo City – are now advancing towards the town of Khan Al-‘Assal after capturing the eastern flank; this aforementioned town was the scene of a brutal massacre committed by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in 2013.

Should the Syrian Armed Forces capture both Al-Rashiddeen and Khan Al-‘Assal, the Islamist rebels will be completely cut-off from the provincial capital’s southern districts.