Half of terrorists quit Aleppo battle: Report

Around half of the foreign-backed militants in the Syrian northwestern Aleppo Governorate have reportedly left the battlefield, as they have got disillusioned with the prospect of their anti-government campaign.

In a Friday report, Los Angeles Times cited Samir Zaitoun, a commander with Al Tawheed Brigade, a Syrian opposition group, as saying that nearly half the militants in Aleppo, mostly from small groups, have left over the last year.

“A lot of people left because it’s taking so long; they thought it was going to be a matter of yelling ‘God is great’ twice in protest and a few hits and it would be over,” Zaitoun said.

The Syrian army has been making more advances in recent months.

On July 13, the Syrian army recaptured parts of the eastern town of Mulayhah after about 100 days of heavy fighting with militants in the area.

Takfiri terrorists have recently stepped up their attacks against civilians as Syrian army soldiers have achieved major victories in their battle against the foreign-backed militants.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to some reports, around 170,000 people have been killed and millions of others displaced as a result of the foreign-sponsored violence.