Last night, the Syrian army’s Tiger Forces, the Desert Hawks Brigade, Hezbollah, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and other pro-government formations broke the defenses of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian al-Qaeda branch) and its allies from the Jaish al-Fatah militant operation room in western Aleppo. The government forces took full control of the al-Assad Neighborhood, the area of Minyan and also liberated the Carton Factory west of Minyan.
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As SF predicted on November 10, the government forces initially delivered the strike in Minyan, flanking militants in al-Assad, and then retook the al-Assad Nieghborhood. Pro-government units deployed in the area of Hikma also played an important role, preventing Jaish al-Fatah militants from maneuvering in the area. The control over the al Batikh hill/Tell al Batikh was a key issue for this task.
With the liberation of these areas, the army and its allies have won back almost all areas that had been seized by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other terrorists in a series of offensives in western and southwestern Aleppo.
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Now, when the main militant forces withdrew from al-Assad and Minyan, the army and its allies will pay attention to the areas of Aqrab, Rshidin 4 and Rashidin 5 (heavy air strikes were reported there on November 11 and November 12). Strategically, the success in this direction will set a foothold for an offensive on Khan Tuman. According to unconfirmed reports, Iranian-backed pro-government militias (Hezbolalh & Co) have been readying for this operation.
Let’s recall how the key town of Khan Tuman fell to Jabhat al-Nusra’s hands in May 2016:
Payback from Iranian militias for the defeat