Tensions Increase in Northern Aleppo Province

Rumors have it that Turkish-sponsored so-called rebels in Syria could launch a major advance to recapture the SDF-held town of Tall Rifat and this may distract the attention of the public from alleged manipulations during the recent referendum.

The US-backed SDF opened a security corridor for civilians to leave the Daesh-held town of Tabqa besieged by SDF fighters in Raqqa province after negotiations with Daesh in the area. They applied the same tactic during the battle for Manbij when the allowed about 500 vehicles with ISIS fighters and civilians to leave the town. 

The US command wanted to push the same during the battle for Mosul but the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) cut the roads west of Mosul preventing Daesh from fleeing to Syria.

Earlier, government forces repelled an advance at the Sathiyat area west of Salamiyah in a Daesh’s failed attempt to divert the army from northern Hama.

Elsewhere, the army backed by Syrian and Russian warplanes continued advancing in northern Hama through intensified artillery and air strikes across the entire area, focusing on Taybat Al-Imam under control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).