Government-HTS escalation in northwest Syria leaves 10 casualties
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Six militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) and four soldiers of the Syrian government forces were killed in northwest Syria due to military escalation between the two parties.
A military source of the HTS said six militants of Army of Omar bin al-Khattab and Asa’ib al-Hamra – two groups affiliated to the HTS – and four soldiers of the government forces were killed as a result of an infiltration attempt by the HTS in the western countryside of Aleppo.
The government forces ramped up their artillery and missile bombardment of Aleppo and Idlib countryside due to the HTS’ infiltration attempt to the posts of the government forces, the source told North Press.
Syria’s Ministry of Defense said in statement its forces killed and injured members of a group of the HTS during an attack on a number of the government forces’ posts.
“Units of our armed forces operating in the western countryside of Aleppo inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists and left them dead and wounded,” the ministry said, adding that they seized “the bodies of several killed terrorists, including members of the so-called ‘Turkestan Foreigners Brigade’.”
In the western countryside of Hama, central Syria, two people were killed in a drone attack on their car near the village of al-Naquor.