Syrian Army approaches southern Afrin for first time in years

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is steadily approaching the southern part of the Afrin region after scoring a large-scale advance across the western countryside of the Aleppo Governorate.

According to a field source in the Aleppo Governorate, the Syrian Army has captured several points located southeast of Jabal Sema’an (Mount Simeon, while also pushing further west towards the jihadist stronghold of Darret ‘Izza.

The source said the Syrian Army has shelled the militant positions around Jabal Sema’an, but it is still not clear if they will make the actual push into the southern region of Afrin.

The Afrin region was captured by the Turkish-backed militants in March 2018 after a two-month-long operation against the People’s Protection Units (YPG).