Syrian Forces Win Full Control over Key Town in Aleppo

A military source said the army, backed by popular forces, eventually managed to purge all parts of the town that is located in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo from the Takfiri militants.

There are no immediate reports about the exact numbers of the terrorists’ casualties.

The Syrian Army, National Defense Forces (NDF) and Hezbollah fighters could win a major part of Sheikh Ahmad after several days of fierce battles and came closer to the strategic Kuweires Airbase.

The Syrian army troops, the NDF fighters and the Lebanese Hezbollah forces, backed up by the Russian fighter jets, on Saturday tightened noose around the ISIL terrorists near Sheikh Ahmad and its surrounding areas to lift over a two-year-long siege of the strategic Kuweires airbase.

The Saturday reports said that the government forces were very close to seize full control over Sheikh Ahmad after killing tens of Takfiri terrorists, but yet said that the army had prevailed no more than 90 percent of the town.

Reports on Monday evening said the army has completed its control over the town and is preparing to take the final step towards Kuweires airbase.

Last week, the Syrian army, popular forces and Hezbollah backed up by Russian warplanes started massive operations and came almost half a mile closer to the Kuweires airport in a region where advance in every inch has taken days.

The pro-government forces marched on ISIL positions in the region and advanced to the rural district of Sheikh Ahmad after taking full control of the railway crossing.

The Syrian army and Hezbollah deployed their forces in a region only 2 kilometers away from the airbase.

At the time, the government forces were preparing to mop up the rest of Sheikh Ahmad to prepare for a massive offensive on ISIL positions along the Aleppo-Raqqa Highway. Some 80 percent of Sheikh Ahmad – that is seen as a milestone in the Damascus war on terrorist groups in the Northern province of Aleppo – was under the control of the pro-government forces last week.

Army sources said the Russian strikers have played a very crucial role in the operation.

Last week, commanders of the Syrian army, popular forces, Hezbollah and Russian Air Force held a meeting in Sheikh Ahmad frontline to coordinate the last phase of their joint operation for removing the two-year-long ISIL siege on Kuweires airbase, Southeast of Aleppo.

Military sources said at the time that the pro-government forces were deployed in most parts of Sheikh Ahmad, just 2,600 meters far farm the Southern gates of the strategic Kuweires airbase.

The joint operations of the Syrian army troops, Hezbollah fighters and NDF that have been underway with the Russian air backup for the last two months have forced the militant groups, specially the ISIL, to withdraw from the Southern parts of Sheikh Ahmad town near the Kuweires airbase.

Sources said that the militant groups have suffered heavy casualties in the latest stage of the pro-government troops’ joint operations.

Now the pro-government forces are deployed in a distance about just a mile from the strategic airbase.

The ISIL Takfiri terrorists have besieged the Kuweires airbase for over 2.5 years now, but the base itself is under the Syrian army’s control.

Hundreds of Syrian forces are under a tight siege at the airbase as a result of the occupation of vast areas surrounding the airport by the terrorists.

The Syrian army’s helicopters supply foodstuff and other needs to the Syrian troops defending the airport.