Syrian Army's famous Idlib Offensive is more or less underway

From the situation report below it doesn't look as if the 13th round of the Astana Peace Process held August 1 and 2,  which focused on getting agreements about Idlib, went terribly well behind the scenes. You know what they say about the number 13.

Syrian Army Liberates Several Areas in Southern Idlib
August 10, 2019 - 5:57
FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army continued military operations in Northern Syria, regaining control of a strategic region and the nearby hills in Southern Idlib.

The army forces, backed by artillery and missile fire, engaged in heavy clashes with Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorists in the town of al-Tamane'ah in the Eastern parts of Khan Sheikhoun on Saturday, taking back control of the strategic town of Sakik and adjacent hills.

Meantime, a field source said that other Syrian army troops also clashed with militants in al-Latamineh and al-Habit in Western Khan Sheikhoun in Southern Idlib, adding that the army intends to surround the terrorists in Southern Idlib and facilitate the operations in Idlib and Hama by launching concurrent operations in several fronts, driving wedges to separate the region into several parts and cutting the militants' supply lines.

He added that the Syrian army has also dispatched a large number of forces and military equipment to Atshan, Abuda Ali and Abu Omar in Eastern Hama and Southern Idlib.

The Syrian army kicked off an offensive to impose full control over the terrorists’ strategic base in the town of al-Hobait in Southern Idlib on Saturday.

The Syrian Army units conducted artillery and missile attacks on terrorists’ military positions in al-Hobait in Southern Idlib, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on the militants.

Meantime, the Syrian Army troops engaged in heavy clashes with the terrorists in Um al-Khalakhil and al-Zarzour region in the Southeastern outskirts of Idlib.

A battlefield source pointed to the Syrian Army’s efforts to liberate al-Hobait town in Southern Idlib, and said once the Syrian army completes control over this region which is the gate to Idlib, it will be able to take control of the city of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib and the international Damascus-Aleppo road.

He also referred to the Syrian Army plan to lay siege to the remaining areas controlled by terrorists in Northern Hama, and said that the Syrian army troops will manage to take full control of Sahl al-Ghab region in Northwestern Hama once they liberate the town of al-Hobait.

[END REPORT]

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