The Free Syrian Army fighters have seized control of the key town of Albab northeast of Aleppo from the ISIS extremist group as part of the Turkish-backed Operation Euphrates Shield offensive.
A commander of an FSA group taking part in the offensive said that the FSA fighters were now clearing mines and explosive devices laid by ISIS in the town.
The announcement of the liberation of Albab came hours after the FSA groups have captured all the strategic points in the center of the town, most notably the security complex, ISIS’s biggest and most heavily defended bastion.
The town of Albab, roughly 40 km northeast of Aleppo city and 30 km south of the Turkish border, is the last major ISIS stronghold in Aleppo province. It was home to about 200,000 people before it fell to ISIS in January 2014.
In August 24, 2016, FSA groups launched Operation Euphrates Shield to clear ISIS and other terrorist groups from territory south of the Turkish border with Syria with support from Turkish military forces and in coordination with the international anti-ISIS coalition. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office)
