On February 1, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) advanced further south of the city of Saraqib in the southeastern Idlib countryside.
According to pro-government sources, the army imposed control of the town of Luf following a fierce battle with al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies.
Luf is one of the largest towns in Saraqib city’s southern countryside. The town is located only 9 km to the south of Saraqib, which is the main target of the ongoing SAA military operation in southeast Idlib.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter.
A day earlier, the SAA captured the towns of Ain al-Ban and al-Kan’is in southeast Idlib. The army also advanced in the southern Idlib countryside and imposed control of the towns of Hish, Kafr Mazdah, Tubish, Muqah and Amiriyah.
HTS and its allies are sustaining heavy losses while they are attempting to stop the army’s advance. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 220 militants were killed by the army in the last six days only.
