Hama Battle Map: Syrian Army Captures 2 Villages in the Province; Al-‘Amariyya is Under Fire-Control

One week after capturing the strategic city of Morek in west Hama, the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) 11th Tank Division has continued its progress in the province by taking control of Qabr Farat and Al-Kareem near the border of Idlib. According to a military source, fighting is still taking place north of Al-Kareem and east of Al-Taloul; however, the SAA has secured most of the area. Nearby the village Al-Kareem, the 11th Division has advanced to the vital city of Khan Sheikhoun, where they have taken position 400 meters south of the Islamic Front’s (Jabhat Al-Islamiyya) frontlines.

In the Aleppo Governorate, the SAA and National Defense Forces (NDF) have declared the village of Al-‘Amariyya under fire-control; this comes one week after the launching of an offensive in the southern part of the province. According to a source in the NDF, violent firefights are still taking place on the outskirts of Al-‘Amariyya, as Islamic Front forces begin to retreat southeast. Al-‘Amariyya is imperative to the SAA due to its proximity to the Sheikh Sa’eed Power Plant and to isolate the Islamic Front forces inside the Al-Ramouseh District.

Jabhat Al-Nusra has continued to its bombardment of Idlib City, firing a barrage of mortar shells from the southwest outskirts of the provincial capital. Despite their infiltration attempts from the west, they have been unable to advance past NDF checkpoints on Al-Mastouma Road. To counter their infiltration attempts, the Syrian Air Force has carried out 16 airstrikes on the exposed militants, attacking convoys of reinforcements coming from the northwest.