BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – The battle for Ma’arat Al-Nu’man has ended in a devastating defeat for the jihadist rebels, as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) announces the capture of Ma’arat Al-Nu’man and the Wadi Al-Deif Base.
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According to a field source near the front-lines, the remaining jihadist rebels in the area have fled to safety and left the city and base to the Syrian Armed Forces.
The source said the jihadist rebels of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) did not bother to fight for Ma’arat Al-Nu’man, as they mostly withdrew from the city on Monday.
The fall of Ma’arat Al-Nu’man was made possible on Tuesday after the Syrian Arab Army’s 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly Tiger Forces) captured the key town of Kafr Rouma, which is located to the southwest of the city.
Ma’arat Al-Nu’man was captured by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in 2012 and Wadi Al-Deif was seized by Jabhat Al-Nusra and FSA in 2014. This area had long been considered a major stronghold for the militants.
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