On Saturday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) downed a reconnaissance drone in the southern Aleppo village of Al-‘Adnaniyyeh. The drone was shot down by the alert SAA officer known as Captain “Abu Qusay” of the 2nd Army Corps during a patrol in the village. According to Captain Abu Qusay, the drone belonged to ‘Ahrar Al-Sham fighters operating in the vicinity of the village – the cheap hardware indicated that the device was homemade.
On Friday and early Saturday, the Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces (NDF) liberated 9 villages in southern Aleppo near the As-Safira District, after 2 days of violent clashes with ‘Ahrar Al-Sham. Last weekend, ‘Ahrar Al-Sham captured the villages of Bashkawi, ‘Umm Al-Jarran, Qashouta, Al-Wawiyya, Al-Barzani, Rassim Al-Helou, Deemaan, Rassim Al-Sheikh, and Al-Hussaniyyeh, during a brief rebel offensive near Khanesser. One week later, the SAA and NDF regrouped and countered the offensive, taking back the villages controlled by the militants.
Also in south Aleppo, the NDF successfully routed ‘Ahrar Al-Sham and other Islamic Front fighters at the Defense Plants, killing scores of militants in the process. The Defense Plants were captured during the brief rebel offensive near Khanesser; this was an attempt to cutoff the SAA’s main supply route to the Aleppo Governate.
The SAA broke the rebel siege of the Al-Rashideen District in west Aleppo, after retaking the areas controlled by the Islamic Front militants in the western sector. Meanwhile, near the Aleppo Citadel, fierce firefights were reported a few hundred meters away between the SAA and Islamic Front; these clashes are still ongoing between the 2 groups.
Identified militants killed in Aleppo this week:
1. Ibrahim Al-Sa’eed
2. ‘Alaa Bassel Kabi
3. Mohammad ‘Ali Da’aboul
4. ‘Issa Mahmoud Al-Suleiman Al-‘Umar
5. Mustafa Ahmad Al-Shahoud
6. ‘Abdel-Haleem Fataah
7. ‘Isma’eel Al-Taweel
