Syria Conflict : Army Launches Counter-Offensive Attack In Aleppo

Aleppo: The Syrian army and its allies launched a major attack on jihadist militants south of Aleppo, which is being described as the fiercest government assault in the area since an agreement to ease the fighting came into effect in February 2016.

The fighting pits Syrian government forces and allied Lebanese Hezbollah militiamen against rebels, including the Al-Nusra Front group. The Al-Qaeda branch is excluded from the truce along with its rival, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

A statement from the Syrian army and its allies said that they were targeting armed groups in areas south of Aleppo, supported by “heavy and concentrated air strikes”. It also said that the attack was a response to insurgent violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

Syria's crisis erupted five years ago with protests against Assad which were put down with force. It descended into a civil war which has killed more than 250,000, drawn in global military powers and helped ISIL establish its self-declared caliphate. Nearly five million refugees have been driven abroad since then.Russia's six-month-old intervention in Syria has helped to swing military momentum in Assad's favor, reversing last summer's gains by insurgents including western-backed rebels and helping government forces to drive ISIL out of the ancient city of Palmyra.
Syrian activist groups said the push near Aleppo, which started late Tuesday, is aimed at retaking the village of Tel Al-Ais, which overlooks the Damascus-Aleppo highway. The village was captured on Monday by rebels allied with Al-Nusra Front.