Rebel factions have concentrated about 7,000 fighters on the south-western approaches to the Syrian city of Aleppo together with armored vehicles and artillery, Head of the Main Operations Department at Russia’s General Staff Sergei Rudskoi said on Wednesday.
“The most alarming situation has developed on the south-western approaches to Aleppo where terrorists have created a grouping of about 7,000 gunmen over the week with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery and vehicles with armament mounted on them,” he said.
This grouping continues to be replenished through terrorists’ reserves, he added.
“The militants are pulling in additional forces from their controlled areas in the provinces of Idlib, Homs and Hama,” the Russian general said.
The Russian general noted that situation around the Syrian city of Aleppo remains highly complicated as the militants continue attacking the government forces.
“In spite of the efforts to maintain ceasefire, the situation around Aleppo remains highly complicated,” he said. “Jabhat al-Nousra militants who are calling themselves Jabhat Fatah al-Sham now and units of the so-called moderate opposition that have joined them continue attacks on government forces in to the north and south of Aleppo.”
These attacks are undertaken in order to deliver weaponry and munitions, including explosives, to the city.
According to Rudskoi, militants have lost more than 1,000 fighters to the southwest of the Syrian city of Aleppo over the past 4 days; about 2,000 insurgents have been injured.
“Terrorists are suffering severe losses. More than 1,000 militants have been killed to the southwest of Aleppo over the past 4 days. About 2,000 militants have been wounded. Seven tanks, 8 infantry combat vehicles; 29 guns and mortar launchers and 85 trucks with large-caliber weapons have been destroyed,” Rudskoi said.
He added that the Syrian government troops backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces had focused their efforts on thwart terrorists’ attempts to throw over fresh reserves to Aleppo’s southwestern outskirt,” Rudskoi added.
According to him, strikes are being delivered at places of concentration of militant forces, armored vehicles, artillery positions and convoys delivering weapons and ammunition.
As reported earlier, on Saturday, August 6, the Syrian troops retreated from the battle positions on the compound of military schools in Aleppo. Along with it, they managed to disrupt delivery of armaments and redeployment of rebel reinforcements to the eastern part of the city, which is encircled by government troops.
On Monday, August 9, the military once again cut off the enemy’s access to the corridor leading to the eastern districts of Aleppo.
Several armed detachments of militants have left Aleppo through a special corridor, Rudskoy said.
“A supplementary humanitarian corridor for the armed militants’ withdrawal located near Castello Road continues operating,” he said. “I’d like to emphasize that several armed groups that have recognized the unpromising character of further combat actions have left the eastern part of the city through this corridor taking the armaments away with them.”
Source: TASS News.
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