FSA and rebel groups took control of strategic positions near the Hama-Mahreda road, cutting off the Assad regime’s supply lines to northern rural Hama.
A commander in the FSA-affiliated Ezza Army on Wednesday said that they have captured the villages of Alsheer, Sobeen, and Safouh hill located near the Hama-Mahreda road as well as the village of Majdal and Beijo hill. The latest rebel and FSA gains came after they launched a major offensive against regime forces and their allies in northern rural Hama on Tuesday.
The commander said that regime forces have suffered heavy losses as their defenses quickly crumbled in front of the attacking forces. He added that the FSA and rebel fighters destroyed and captured several tanks and armored vehicles.
The FSA and rebel groups on Tuesday captured the town of Souran 20 km north of Hama and the town of Khattab around 10 km to the northwest in a swift attack. They then pressed on with the attack southward, capturing arms depots near Khattab and destroying at least five regime checkpoints on their way.
In eastern Damascus, meanwhile, activists said that rebel and FSA groups regained control on the Industrial Zone and the Abbasiyen Bus Station in eastern Damascus on Tuesday. They managed to break the siege on the district of Qaboun after capturing key regime positions between the districts of Qaboun and Jobar. At least 30 pro-regime militants were killed in eastern Damascus on Tuesday, activists said.
Rebel and FSA groups also launched an offensive against ISIS in the eastern Qalamoun area last week. The FSA-affiliated Ahmad Abdu Forces on Wednesday announced that they have captured the Mahssa road junction in the eastern Qalamoun area in rural Damascus from the extremist group. They pointed out that they will continue the offensive until ISIS is cleared from all the area northeast of the capital Damascus.
Last week, FSA and rebel groups drove ISIS out of key positions in the Hamad hills in eastern Qalamoun, including a mountain range, the Afaie valley, the Medad farmlands, Zubaida, and Manqoura. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Smart News Network)
