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BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 P.M.) – Following the capture of Al-Khafsah town earlier in the day, the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) swept through a large ISIS enclave near the Euphrates River in the eastern Aleppo countryside on Tuesday.

After a massive last-minute ISIS withdrawal due to an exposed salient, the SAA’s Tiger Forces were able to capture 23 villages in just a few hours, namely: Abu Khattar, Rabbayah, Mazra’ah, Kharijis, Jannat as Salamah, Jannat as Saghir, Tall Abu Jadhah, Ash Sheikh Abyad, Khan al-Humr, Tall al-Aswad, Shu’ayb Hamr, Shihah, Dukhayrah, Ma’radah, Khirbat Shihab, Arb’a Kabeera, Ra’as Al-Ain, Balloura, Al-Na’eem, Asheni, Al-Tayara, Atejah, and Khafyah Sharqiyah.

According to Al-Masdar News field correspondent Ibrahim Joudeh, ISIS militants were overwhelmed by the unprecedented SAA advances and thus were not in time to booby trap the area as the terror group usually does prior to retreating.

Since the Tiger Forces began their large-scale eastern Aleppo offensive on January 17th, the SAA has wrestled control of some 145 villages and reduced the self-proclaimed caliphate’s territory by over 1000 square kilometers.

ISIS has now set up a last-ditch defensive line along axis between Deir Hafer and Jirah Airbase. The area is manned by militants that retreated from Al-Bab two weeks ago and jihadist units regrouping from the abandoned pocket.

Should the SAA smash through the Islamic State’s final line of defense in Aleppo, Syrian government troops are expected to restart their offensive towards Raqqa.

Advertisements</s>Syria’s government forces are taking more villages from the Islamic State in East Aleppo countryside, and have now become at a stone’s throw from re-taking the group’s stronghold of al-Khafsah.

Fierce battles were reported to have taken place around the ISIS-controlled village of al-Khafsah whereby the Syrian Army succeeded to recapture several villages. One of which is Dkherah, located at the frontline with the US-backed, predominantly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The new advance gets the Army closer to almost encircle the terror group in its bastion; which will also secure the water pumping station that feeds the entire northern city of Aleppo.

The results of the Army’ military operations in East Aleppo prove to be more than satisfying. In total, more than 850 km2 of territories have been so far liberated by the government forces since the campaign began less than 2 months ago. In addition to more than 132 villages fully recaptured.</s>DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The army loyal to the Syrian government has recaptured areas near a military airport in the Aleppo province, a source familiar with the matter told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"The army has retaken control of areas just outside the military airfield east of Aleppo," the source at the site of military action said, adding the Kashish airport was seized by Islamists three years ago.

The nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime was introduced on December 30, 2016. Terrorist organizations are not part of the ceasefire.</s>As previously reported by Al-Masdar News, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to conceede 20 villages to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in a bid to halt the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield campaign from capturing the city of Manbij.

The villages in question, all located between Al-Bab and Manbij, are the following: Arimah, Arab Hassan Kabir, Zunqul, Khirbat Nafakh, Al-Farat, Jamus Wiran, Dandaniyah, Sayadah, Qurt Wiran, Sab Wiran, Kur Huyuk, Qawuqli, Al-Bughaz, Ulashli, Abu Hayj, Tall Turin, Qarah, Jubb al-Hamir, Al-Hutah, and Mil Wiman.

Syrian troops are now present in the aforementioned areas, typified by one member of the pro-government National Defence Forces (NDF) surrendering himself to the Euphrates Shield forces earlier in the day during clashes in the region.

Nevertheless, the SDF still maintains a garrison of People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the villages, advising the NDF and SAA about the ins and outs of regional defenses. This area is manned mostly by government troops of Kurdish origin, much similar to the frontline situation directly north of Aleppo city.

According to a source close to Al-Masdar News, NDF commanders and the Manbij Military Council agreed to the deal in order to avoid diverting Kurdish troops from its ongoing Raqqa offensive. Another part of the agreement involved increased trade and tons of Russian humanitarian aid arriving in Manbij city.

The last YPG fighters will leave the newly conceded villages and return to Manbij city shortly. However, a representative of the SDF-linked Manbij Military Council stressed that the SDF would not surrender control of Manbij city and its immediate countryside.

While a Turkish minister said the Manbij deal was acceptable for the Euphrates Shield forces, some commanders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) insisted they would increase attacks on the SAA and eventually capture Manbij city anyway.

Earlier today, a Turkmen FSA faction also claimed to have killed 9 YPG militants at Abu Hayj while a SDF fighter said 30 rebel militants were neutralized over the past 24 hours.

For the latest map of the region, click here.</s>BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:15 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continued their wide-scale offensive in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, liberating three villages from the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization near Mount Salma.

Led by the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Arab Army liberated the villages of Rasm Al-Hammam, Al-Ashayni, and Abu Judhah Al-Kabeera after a short battle with the Islamic State terrorists this afternoon.

This latest advance by the Tiger Forces this afternoon was made possible by the Syrian Arab Army’s liberation of Judhah Al-Sagheera and Al-Ra’wiyah in the northern part of the Deir Hafer Plain earlier today.

With these five villages liberated today, the Syrian Arab Army is now within striking distance of the Islamic State’s stronghold of Khafsa, which is also strategic because of its proximity to the Euphrates River.
The Syrian Army captures at least 23 villages in North East Aleppo Governorate from ISIL in a matter of hours after an ISIL withdrawal caused by the SAA capturing Al-Khafsah.