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Dozens die as Syrian Army convoy is hit
Aleppo – Islamist rebel groups targeted on Saturday a Syrian army convoy near the city of Aleppo, killing and wounding dozens of soldiers. Fighters of Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) hit a convoy for the Syrian regime’s army forces with mortar shells and heavy machine guns. “The attack took place on the Khanasir-Ithria road. The convoy, which was coming from Hama city to Aleppo, consisted of at least 6 army vehicles loaded with weapons beside carrying dozens of soldiers,” media activist Abduljabbar al-Hamwi told ARA News. The rebels’ bombardment led to the destruction of four vehicles, while two others were confiscated. At least 24 Syrian army soldiers were killed and ten others were taken hostage by the JFS and Ahrar al-Sham. “None of the convoy’s vehicles was able to make it to Aleppo. Our operation was successful, and we won’t allow any more military reinforcements to reach the pro-Assad forces in Aleppo,” Anass al-Omar, a spokesman for Ahrar al-Sham, told ARA News. “Despite all the Russian and Iranian support, Assad won’t be able to win in Aleppo,” al-Omar said. Breaking Siege of Eastern Aleppo On Friday, Syrian Islamist rebels, led by the Army of Conquest, launched an offensive to break the siege on eastern Aleppo. Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), an al-Qaeda splinter group, initiated the campaign by attacking several regime-held districts in western Aleppo. Abu Saeed al-Halabi, a Dutch member of JFS, told ARA News that the new offensive aims to “free the thousands of Muslims besieged in the eastern part of Aleppo.” Al-Halabi credited the Army of Conquest, also known as Jaish al-Fatah, with laying the groundwork for the offensive, marshaling Syria’s often disparate Islamists. “[They,] JFS and other factions prepared this assault in great detail and synchronized their forces in an unprecedented manner,” he told ARA News. Al-Halabi added that Jabhat Fateh al-Sham would commit the bulk of its jihadists to this one operation “[We] will commit most of our resources and inghimasi [suicide] fighters,” he said. “Both [Sunni] mujahidin and Shia militias have gathered thousands of their fighters for a battle which could decide the outcome of this conflict,” al-Halabi stated. “[Our triumph] will likely secure the remaining part of Aleppo city from Shia forces. This will bury the myth of a political solution in Syria.” Speaking for his fellow Jihadists, al-Halabi, said that all of the recent battles in Syria, Iraq and Yemen were linked. “These battles should be seen in the light of the US-Russian-Iranian alliance’s plan to strip the Sunnis from power in the Middle East,” he said. Jabhat al-Nusra announced in July that it had broken its ties to al-Qaeda and that it had changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. However, Russia and the US view these changes as cosmetic and have continued to target the group. According to al-Halabi, the Aleppo offensive has great importance “as it could tip Syria’s power balance.” The JFS member declared that “this could be the mother of all battles.” Posted by: badanov 2016-10-30 |
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