Remember those reports about the SAA storming Khan Sheikhoun? Well, it seems the storming didn't happen, although the SAA's Tiger Forces made such a ruckus on the city outskirts it would have looked like they were preparing to enter the city proper.
Anyhow, they didn't.
As to what is actually going on: don't quote me on this -- after plowing through early AM reports from Al-Masdar News (AMN) and SouthFront and standing on my head, I deduce the militants in control of Khan Sheikoun are preferring a scattered retreat rather than a siege they can't survive long on account of their supply routes and reinforcements have been cut off by the SAA.
Something like that.
Here are the reports I've been looking at, all of them dated today; times cited by AMN are local -- Beirut time.
SouthFront (no timestamp): MILITANTS ARE WITHDRAWING FROM TOWNS IN NORTHERN HAMA FEARING INEVITABLE FALL OF KHAN SHAYKHUN: REPORTS
AMN, 9:10 AM: Breaking: Early reports of militants withdrawing from Khan Sheikhoun, northern Hama
AMN, 10:20 AM: Syrian Army denies control of Khan Sheikhoun
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:45 A.M.) – Anna News’ Oleg Blokhin released a new video on Tuesday that showed aerial footage of Khan Sheikhoun after the militants withdrew to the southern part of the city.
As seen in the footage below, the northern part of Khan Sheikhoun is ultimately a ghost town after the militants withdrew from this sector of the city.
[video]
Despite claims of the Syrian Army entering Khan Sheikhoun, a source from the military has denied these claims, adding that their troops are still outside the city.
Furthermore, HTS [Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham] has denied fully withdrawing from the city; instead, their spokesperson said they are currently in the southern sector of the city.
[END REPORT]********
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