Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) recaptured al-Katibat al-Mahjura in southeast Idlib from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in a surprise attack early on December 11.
The attack was carried out the terrorist group’s Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Army and the special forces unit, known as the “Red Bands.” Army units were pushed out of the position within a few hours. No heavy clashes were reported.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter.
Al-Katibat al-Mahjura [the abandoned base in Arabic] is a former Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces (SyAADF) base, which overlooks HTS-held Umm al-Tinah. The army captured the base last week.
HTS’s news network, Iba’a, claimed that the SAA made a failed attempt to recapture al-Katibat al-Mahjura in the afternoon. However, these claims have not been verified, so far.
A source in HTS told Iba’a that the attack on al-Katibat al-Mahjura was a response to remarks by Russia’s Foreign Minister, who said a day earlier that Idlib should be liberated from terrorists. The terrorist group is exploiting the Russian-Turkish brokered ceasefire to consolidate its own influence in Greater Idlib.
Back and fort that is now the war game in Syria.
Get it back SAA!!!!
This would not last for more than a couple of days.
I think someone may have made a mistake, either this article is incorrect or everyone else is, SANA hasn’t confirmed this information and neither has anyone else, even syrialiveuamaps shows no change in the SAA territorial holding, only SF is publishing this latest news story and I have my doubts it’s completely accurate, at least I hope it isn’t.
This joke won’t last long.