On Sunday, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured Abu Dali village and al-Maqta’a hill in the northern Hama countryside, according to the HTS-linked news agency Iba’a.
Iba’a said the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) units withdrew from the village after a successful VBIED attack of HTS.
Iba’a added that several Syrian soldiers were killed or captured in Abu Dali village. Moreover, HTS captured a T-72 tank and two armed vehicles of the SAA inside the village according to the source.
Click to see the full-size map
Meanwhile, opposition sources revealed that HTS field commander Khaled Sulash al-Ahmad “Abu Adam” was killed by the SAA during the ongoing HTS attack in the northern Hama countryside.
Opposition sources added that Syrian warplanes conducted several airstrikes on Jarjnaz and Maarrat al-Nu’man towns in the southern Idlib countryside. From its side, pro-government forces announced that 20 HTS fighters were killed on Sunday around Abu Dali village.
The capture of Abu Dali village is considered the first real achievement of HTS in the northern Hama countryside in 2017. It’s still unknown if the SAA is planning to launch a counter-attack to recapture the town, or if HTS will continue its attack.
The HTS advannce on Abu Dali:
