AlMasdarNews reports: A day after the Syrian Army and the allied Iraqi Harakat Al-Nujaba’ seized control of over 80% of the imperative Sheikh Sa’eed district in southern Aleppo, the pro-government forces withdrew after the jihadists launched a powerful assault before the former managed to fortify their positions.
The government troops still maintain a presence in the southern parts of Sheikh Sa’eed where they have fortified a mounting stage for future attacks on the district. Clashes persist in the embattled district.
Additionally, Sadkop and Old Ramousah remain under the control of the Syrian Armed Forces after Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra) ceded control of the area.
Should the rebel forces lose Sheikh Sa’eed to the government forces, the slim hopes of a potential lift of the siege would be long forgone.
I assume this district is depopulated due to the ongoing clashes. So why not cover the terrorists with a carpet of bombs?
It’s likely. The SAA evacuated the civilians quickly from liberated areas, this could be an interesting development
because you need to rebuild it. syria is a war-torn and poor country, why blow things up if it’s unnecessary? the job can get done with less damage too. if buildings are mostly standing, you de-mine them, make necessary repairs, connect power and water, and people can return immediately, like within a couple of weeks. this is a huge benefit for already overstretched state services. and don’t forget it’s winter, shelter is especially needed.
In a way I’m not surprised. The Jihadists can afford to lose territory in the north of their pocket, their only chance of relief comes from the south. They have to hold onto this at all cost. Hopefully the SAA made they pay a heavy price for this and turn it into a Pyrrhic victory.
Actually, this is OK. we’ve seen this strategy before. the resault now is that jihadi positions are likewise unfortified, and my free guess is that you need a cooler head and more reasoning for defense than to just swallow a captagon pill. then when the SAA comes back, it will bulldoze over them.