The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

After intensive aerial and ground shelling…the regime forces take the control of Sinjar as well as villages in its vicinity and open their way to Abu Al-Duhur Military Airbase

The intensive bombardment by warplanes and helicopters is continuing, in conjunction with an attack and advancement by the regime forces in the area, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the regime forces backed by armed militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities managed to advance and take the control of more area where they took the control of the villages of Khyara, Al-Mutawasitah and Kafriya west of Sinjar Township in the eastern countryside of Idlib, as well as the villages of Seraa and Saree south-east of Sinjar Township, amid advancing and controlling Sinjar Township which is located at a distance of 14 km from Al-Duhur town where Abu Al-Duhur Military Airbase is located, while the regime forces are not able to hold their control over the township that has a strategic importance until now, as clashes are taking place in the north-western outskirts of the township, amid the continuation of bombing areas in the eastern section of Idlib countryside by a squadron of warplanes and helicopters affiliated to the regime and Russia, after intensive preliminary since this morning on Sinjar just before the regime forces controlled it.

This advancement enabled the regime forces to impose their control over 60 villages and towns during 2 consecutive weeks since the 25th of December 2017, rising to 99, the number of villages, towns and areas controlled by the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them during about 11 weeks of the clashes which started on the 22nd of October 2017, which are  ((Khyara, Al-Mutawasitah, Kafriya, Seraa, Saree, Sinjar, Sarja Sharqiya, Um Al-Halalil, Um Mwailat, Al-Sheikh Baraka, Hawa, Tel Amara, Al-Lubaida Al-Sharqia, Al-Nasriya, Fahil, Jalas, Um Rajm, Al-Niha, Tel Umm Al-Khalakhil, , Mushyrifa Al-Gooan, Um Sahrij and its station, Al-Daribiya, Mushrifa Shamaliya, Al-Lwaibda, Rasm Al-abd, Swairat, Shakfa, Um Rajm, Fahil Jalas, Rabia Mousa, Al-Hakiya, Al-Qasr Al-Abyad, Al-Hamdiniya and its stations, Al-Nasriya, Abu Omar, Tel Marq, Atshan, Tel Zaater, Al-Gadoia, Al-Salumiya, Al-Khawin, Al-Zaror, Sham Al-Hawa, Um Al-Khalkhil, Qabibat Um Al-Hoda, Tel Aswad Ras Al-ain, Tel Tawila Mahmoud, Umm Haratin, Tel Al-Maktaa, Al-Maghara, Al-Tama, Al-Dajaj, Al-Mushayrifa, Abu Dali,Al-Hawia, Tel Al-Syriatel, Al-Shatib, Um Trikiya, Rajm Al-Ahmar, Al-Zafriya, Al-Bulail, Um Khazim, Abu Al-Ghar, Baghdid, Abu Lafa, and Al-Mushayrafa, Al-Shahtiya, al-Mestriha, Jub Abyad, Rasm Abu Myal,Rasm Al-Swan, Rasm Al-Sawy, Abu Al-Ghar, Rasm Al-Ahmar, Rasm al-Tina, Jawiad, Hasrat, Kharbat Al-Rahjan, Hasnawy, Mwailah Shamali, Qasr Ali, Qasr Shawy, Tel Mahsar, Al-Rabia, Douma, Rabda, Al-Hazm, Arafa, Marijib Al-Jamlan, Al-Khafiya, Marijab Al-Jamlan, Sham Al-Hawa, Al-Rehraha, Sarha.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published today that the intensive bombardment on Sinjar and the eastern countryside of Idlib,  was accompanied by starting artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces targeting positions in Sinjar Township which is located at a distance of 14 km to the south of Abu Al-Duhur town where Abu Al-Duhur Military Airbase -the main target of the regime’s operation- is located near it, and if the regime forces manage to advance and take the control of it, even through the continuation of the advancement to the north or to move simultaneously from Kafr Haddad area south of Aleppo towards Abu Al-Duhur Military Airbase, then they will impose a siege on Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and the rebel and Islamic factions in about 3000 square km of the eastern countryside of Idlib, the southern countryside of Aleppo and the north-eastern countryside of Hama, through which the regime forces are seeking to their scope of control larger inside the Syrian territory and impose their control over new spaces at the expense of the factions and Tahrir Al-Sham, and provide more protection to the main artery of Aleppo which is Alepp – Salamiyah – Khanasir Road, which connects Aleppo by land with the middle and the south provinces of Syria.