Syrian opposition forces attack IS near Aleppo

Syrian opposition forces in Aleppo have inflicted an unprecedented defeat on the Islamic State group, seizing areas south of al-Shahbaa dam in the northern Aleppo countryside that were under IS control.

The opposition forces made these advances in parallel with the ongoing attempts by the regime to advance in the vicinity of the Industrial City in the nearby district of Sheikh Najjar.

On Tuesday, the opposition forces led by the Levantine Front, the largest opposition faction in the northern Aleppo countryside, launched an attack on IS positions in towns south of al-Shahbaa lake in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

The opposition's gains against IS in the northern Aleppo countryside could also be a prelude for a broader offensive against the radical jihadist group.

The progress made by the opposition took place at a time when the regime is mobilising more troops in the Industrial City, less than 15km from the areas the opposition has now seized. A source in the Levantine Front, who asked not to be named, told al-Araby al-Jadeed: "The intelligence of the Levantine Front were able to spot new forces brought in by Lebanese Hizballah and the regime that recently arrived in the Industrial City and the region near the town of Kafr Saghir, in the northern countryside of Aleppo."

The source said that the regime's mobilisation of new forces in parallel with its attempts to advance on opposition areas in the district of al-Bureij west of the Industrial City, is in preparation for a new regime offensive in the northern Aleppo countryside.

The goal, the source said, was to break the siege on the towns of Nubol and Zahraa, which are considered loyal to the regime, and which have been under siege by opposition forces for nearly three years.

The regime forces in northern Aleppo control the Industrial City, the Aleppo Central Prison, and parts of the town of Handarat and the entire town of Seifat, in addition to the town of Bashkoy, which is considered the regime forces' main forward base in northern Aleppo.

This town comes under daily attack from opposition forces. Over the recent days, the opposition forces bombarded regime positions in Bashkoy using locally made rockets and shells, and destroyed a number of armoured vehicles and bulldozers belonging to the regime in the town using US-made anti-tank TOW missiles.

These developments make a new battle between regime and opposition forces in northern Aleppo more likely, after nearly two and a half months of relative calm following the major setback suffered by regime forces during a failed offensive in the area in February.

At the time, regime forces failed to take the towns of Ratian and Hardatnin, following which the opposition forces retook control of the strategic area of al-Mallah.

The opposition's gains against IS in the northern Aleppo countryside could also be a prelude for a broader offensive against the radical jihadist group, with a view to drive it out from further areas and secure opposition supply routes in the region. This would give the opposition an advantage over regime forces in northern Aleppo.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.