Syrian Army Counters at the Al-Ghaab Plains: Ziyarah and Tal Wassit Recaptured

On Tuesday morning, the conglomerate of Al-Qaeda affiliates known as “Jaysh Al-Fateh” (Army of Conquest) made rapid advances across the northeastern countryside of the Al-Ghaab Plains in only two hours, capturing the towns of Frikka and Mushayrafah, along with the hilltops at Tal Wassit, Tal Sheikh Elyas, Tal ‘Awar, and Tal Sheikh Khattab.

With the Syrian Arab Army’s 87th Brigade of the 11th Tank Division withdrawing from the remaining territory in the Idlib Governorate, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and their Qatari-backed allies from Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham and Ansar Al-Sham were able to impose full control over this vast array of farmland on the Hama Governorate’s border.

Following their massive withdrawal, the SAA’s 87th Brigade regrouped to the western countryside of the Al-Ghaab Plains in order to prepare for a counter-assault; this time, they would attack alongside their allies from the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Lions of the Mountain Brigade (Liwaa Al-Assoud Al-Jabal).

Around 1:00 P.M. (Damascus Time) on Tuesday afternoon, the Syrian Armed Forces struck back at Tal Wassit and Ziyarah, killing two dozen enemy combatants from Jaysh Al-Fateh before they were able to impose full control over these towns in the Al-Ghaab Plains of the Hama Governorate.

Clashes are still ongoing between the Syrian Armed Forces and the Al-Qaeda affiliates to the east of Tal Wassit; however, both parties have yet to advance in the last 12 hours.