Hezbollah, Syrian capture 2 hills in northern Aleppo as rebels continue to retreat

Moments ago in the northern Aleppo countryside, the Syrian Arab Army’s 154th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division – in close coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and several Iraqi paramilitary units – imposed full control over two hilltops located along the road from Al-Zahra’a to the nearby village of Tannourah.

According to several battlefield correspondents in northern Aleppo, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies captured Duhrat Al-Qur’ah and Duhrat Al-Qundilah after a violent battle with the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group), the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nourideen Al-Zinki, Jabhat Al-Shamiyah, and Jaysh Al-Mujahiddeen.

With the capture of the aforementioned hills in northern Aleppo this morning, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies are attempting to build a buffer-zone around the strategic towns of Al-Zahra’a and Nubl.

By pushing south towards Tannourah and its nearby quarries, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies will have effectively flanked the Islamist rebels at the village of Bayyanoun, leaving them with only route to retreat.

Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the battle for Aleppo will likely continue because of the large presence of Islamist rebel fighters from Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, who refuse to negotiate a cessation of hostilities with the Syrian government.