On February 16, the remaining positions of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions in northern and northwestern Aleppo began to collapse following a new push by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
Advancing from several directions, the army and its allies managed to liberate the following areas:
- The towns of Shweihna, Kfar Dael, Bashantra, Hayan and Bayanoun;
- The areas of Tell Musiybin, Hutah, Qaylun, Muhaynah and Bshqatin and al-Fanar;
- The housing complexes of al-Hadi, al-Itihad al-Arabi, al-Kahraba 2, al-Muharibin, Azar, al-Rashidin 2 and 3.
Click to see full-size map.
Earlier today, HTS and its allies launched a large-scale counter-attack against the SAA in western Aleppo in a last ditch effort to hold onto the region. However, the attack was repelled with the militants sustaining catastrophic losses.
The SAA will likely secure northern and northwestern Aleppo within a few days, if not hours. The remaining militants in the region are reportedly fleeing.
