ARA News
Aleppo – Backed by
Iraqi and Iranian militias, Syrian army forces on Sunday struck the
al-Bab city in the northern countryside of Aleppo, targeting major
Islamic State (ISIS) headquarters.
This comes amid continued military operations by Turkey and allied rebel groups against the ISIS-held al-Bab city.
“As the Turkish military and Turkey-backed rebels continued their
campaign on al-Bab from the northwest, the Syrian regime and allied
militias launched an offensive on the southeastern part of the city,”
local media activist Muhammad al-Jassim told ARA News.
Al-Jassim, who accompanies the Turkey-backed rebels of the Euphrates
Shield Brigades in al-Bab, said that the pro-regime troops hit ISIS
strongholds in the districts of Tadef and Abu Jaabar in southern al-Bab.
“The regime used the Kweris Airport as a base for its offensive on
Sunday. The Syrian Army, supported by Iranian and Iraqi Shia militiamen,
were engaged in clashes with ISIS fighters in the southeastern suburb
of al-Bab for the first time today,” the source said.

The clashes reportedly continued until Sunday midnight, and it
remained unknown whether ISIS lost any positions in southern al-Bab.

On August 24, the Turkish Army and allied rebels in Syria launched
the so-called Euphrates Shield Operation. As part of the operation,
Turkey’s military and allied Syrian rebels took over the city of
Jarablus in August. Currently, Turkish forces and allied rebels are
locked in fierce clashes with Islamic State’s militants in al-Bab.

In early January, Russia, a key ally to the regime of President
Bashar al-Assad, conducted several airstrikes near the city of al-Bab,
targeting Islamic State’s tactical units and fighting positions. The
Russian air raids destroyed at least five ISIS strongholds in the
western and northern suburbs of al-Bab city, killing and wounding dozens
of ISIS militants.

The Syrian regime has joined the battle for al-Bab after taking the
city of Aleppo from the rebel groups. The regime was alarmed by the
Turkish advance towards al-Bab, considering it a direct threat to the
recently retaken Aleppo.

Reporting by: Sulaiman Muhammed and Helin Saeed | Source: ARA News
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