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On March 4, Turkish-backed militants advanced further in northern Aleppo, capturing a hilltop from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.
The militants imposed control of the hilltop, al-Rraqim, during the eve with direct support from Turkish Armed Forces. Turkish artillery, and allegedly combat drones, targeted Syrian positions near the hilltop.
The new Turkish attack in northern Aleppo was launched in the afternoon. Militants of the so-called National Front for Liberation (NFL) are leading the ground offensive. The militants’ very first gain was the town of al-Sheikh ‘Aqil, which overlooks large areas of Aleppo’s northern and northwestern countryside.
The SAA is expected to launch a counter-attack soon, possibly in the next 24 hours. The army is now pounding al-Raqim and al-Sheikh ‘Aqil.
The militants’ advance in northern Aleppo poses a serious threat to the governorate’s provincial center. In the last few years, city was the target of a vicious series of mortar and rocket attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians.
