Government forces strengthen supply route to Aleppo amid the ISIS retreat

Over the last 24 hours, the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces – in close coordination with Hezbollah, Liwaa Al-Quds (Jerusalem Brigade), the National Defense Forces (NDF), and the Republican Guard – have quietly advanced at the Aleppo-Hama border, capturing several hilltops and points from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) near the village of Al-Hammam.

On Saturday ISIS attempted to capture the village of Al-Hammam from the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies; however, this powerful assault was repelled by the government forces after several hours of fighting that culminated in a high death toll for both sides.

The following day, the Tiger Forces and their allies took the opportunity to conduct their own offensive in the Al-Hammam countryside; this counter-offensive would prove successful, as the government forces were able to secure Al-Hammam and also expand their buffer-zone around the Ithriyah-Khanasser Road. According to a military source that is embedded with the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Armed Forces captured the important mountains that border Al-Hammam at its northeastern flank.

With these mountains captured, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies have given themselves some breathing room along the Ithriyah-Khanasser Road after it was reportedly in danger of being cutoff once again by ISIS. North of Al-Hammam, social media activists from the Syrian Opposition reported that ISIS captured the strategic city of Khanasser today; however, a local battlefield correspondent denied these claims.