Al Fateh Army, an alliance of Syrian Islamist rebels including al Qaeda's Nusra Front, has overrun Syrian regime defense posts in Idlib in an offensive to take the city from the army and allied militia, activists said late Friday.
According to activists and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Nusra Front, the newly-merged group Battalions of Suqour al-Sham and the hardline Jund al-Aqsa have made rapid gains inside the city amid reports of an imminent defeat for Basher al-Assad's forces.
Abu Isa al-Sheikh, senior commander in the Islamic Front, said on his official Twitter account, "It’s Just a few hours to complete our joy by liberating Idlib."
Field reports said rebels' alliance has inflicted humiliating defeats on Assad's forces and his militias.
Idlib, which is close to the main strategic highway linking Damascus to Aleppo, is the capital of a northwestern province of the same name. The army controls the city of at least 100,000 people and rebels are stationed on the outskirts.
Syria slid into civil war after a
crackdown on peaceful protests against al-Assad in March 2011. The United
Nations says more than 220,000 people have been killed.(With Reuters)
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.