Jabhat Al-Nusra launched a counter-offensive in the besieged village of Sheikh Miskeen last night, recapturing much of the East District lost to the Syrian Arab Army’s 5th Division earlier this week. The militants from Jabhat Al-Nusra were able to fight their way to the imperative Sheikh Miskeen-Al-Sanimeen Road, where they were later repelled by the 5th Division and forced to retreat west. At 5 A.M., Jabhat Al-Nusra had controlled most of Sheikh Miskeen after their reinforcements poured in from neighboring villages.
Following the Jabhat Al-Nusra’s attack, the 5th Division launched their own counter-offensive at Sheikh Miskeen, killing scores of Jabhat Al-Nusra militants and fighting their way up to the village cemetery. According to a military source, Jabhat Al-Nusra was unable to retake the whole village of Sheikh Miskeen last night and the SAA’s counter-offensive has forced many Nusra fighters to retreat from the east in order to avoid SAA machine gunfire. The source added that fighting is still ongoing in Sheikh Miskeen and will continue throughout the day.
Casualties have been high for both sides in this fight, as more combantants continue to enter the battlefield at Sheikh Miskeen. According to a military source with the National Defense Forces (NDF), Jabhat Al-Nusra has suffered at least 80 casualties in this battle, while the SAA and NDF have lost 39 soldiers altogether.
The identified militants killed from Jabhat Al-Nusra in Sheikh Miskeen are the following:
1. ‘Abdel-Kareem Mohammad Yousif Al-Shaqraan
2. Bashaar ‘Azzam Abu Hassani
3. Hussein Hassan Al-Barhoumi
4. Nabeel Nazaal Hussein Al-Hareeri
5. Ibrahim Al-Mohazzam
6. Imad Yousif Al-Aqeel
7. Mohammad Naji Al-‘Awad
8. ‘Umar Monahal Al-Fa’ouri
9. Waji Yasser Al-Deeri
10. Hammam Ziad Al-Fa’ouri
11. Jama’at Ibrahim Al-Hareeri
12. Ziad ‘Abdel Al-Wahhab Al-Khalif
13. Ibrahim ‘Abdel Al-Wahhab Al-Khalif
14. Ahmad Ziad Al-Tamki
15. Talaal ‘Abdel-Moula Al-Awad
16. Saaher Mohammad ‘Iyad Al-Khalif
17. Mohammad Hosni Sabeeh
18. Mohammad Sa’adal-deen
19. Mohammad Ziad AL-Hareeri
20. Shadi Fayaz Al-Khateeb Al-Yaaroudi
21. Hassan Al-Za’abi Al-Yaaroudi
22. Yousif Mohammad Al-Jaahad
23. Mohammad ‘Issa Al-‘Ayyash
24. Malek Mahmoud Al-‘Ayyash (“Abu Zabeer”)
25. Ibrahim Jahaad Al-‘Ayyash
26. Ahmad Yousif Al-Nasrat
27. Hussein Mohammad Shahada
28. Ahmad Jamaal Qatleesh
29. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Hammoud Mahaja
30. ‘Alaa Khaled Al-Qarafan ‘Adwan
31. Moussa Mounir Moussa Al-Deeri
32. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Shabaani (Nusra leader)
33. ‘Adal Ismaeel Al-Labaan
34. Ibrahim ‘Ali Al-Za’abi
35. Mahmoud Mohammad Mathqaal Al-Za’abi
36. Basheer Mohammad Al-Za’abi
37. Issa Ibrahim Al-Mataaji
38. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Hammoud
39. Khaled Al-Yasseen
40. Mohannad Ahmad Al-Moqdad
41. Wassaam Mayseer Al-Muslim
