The FSA groups on Sunday said they have captured two new villages near the town of Albab northeast of Aleppo, edging closer to the ISIS-held strategic town. This latest significant progress, made with support from the Turkish military forces and in coordination with the international anti-ISIS coalition, is part of an on ongoing Turkish-backed FSA offensive to oust the ISIS extremist group from the town of Albab and later from all northern Syria.
Activists said that the FSA groups on Sunday captured the villages of Suflaniya and Qabr Almuqri as well as large parts of the town of Bza’a from ISIS militants.
In its weekly briefing, the Turkish army’s chief of staff said that the Turkish-backed FSA operations in northern Syria are continuing as part of the Shield of the Euphrates offensive. It added that ISIS has been committing appalling atrocities against residents of Albab and intimidating women and children since the town fell to the extremist group in early 2014.
Since it was launched in August 24, 2016, the Turkish-backed FSA offensive have captured about 228 towns and villages in a strip of land measuring around 1,880 square kilometers along the Turkish border stretching from the town of Jarablus to Azaz.
The FSA groups are now besieging Albab from all sides and targeting ISIS positions inside the town and on its outskirts in preparation for a final attack to capture the strategic town.
In addition to ousting ISIS, the takeover of Albab frustrates PYD plans to expand over more areas in northern Syria.
Albab, which lies 30 kilometers to the south of the Turkish border, has a population of about 200,000 people. It fell to the ISIS extremist group in January 2014. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office + Agencies)
