The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

After regime progressed on the “M5” highway in Idlib, the Iranian militias in rural Aleppo control a village

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored new progress for the regime forces supported by Iranian-supported  foreign militias in the southern countryside Aleppo, where they managed to control “Khalidiya” village and the entire Khan Tuman town, after they controlled the bulgur factory and other sites.

And with this control, the regime forces are now controlling by firearm the international road of Aleppo – Damascus, and they have taken control of (Khan Tuman, Warehouses of Khan Tuman, Tal al-Zaytoun, the 5th al-Rashedin, Jam’eyyat al-Sehafiyyen, Marata and Khalidiya), as well as other sites, points, and hills in the western and southern countryside of Aleppo since the beginning of the clashes on Friday evening, the 24th of January 2020.

Meanwhile, Russian warplanes bombed Saraqib town and its surroundings in Idlib countryside, in addition to Miznaz town in Aleppo countryside, where they used high explosive missiles.

Rising the number of airstrikes carried out by Russian warplanes to 48, they targeted al-Neirab and Saraqib east of Idlib, and Zitan and other places south of Aleppo.

Helicopters dropped 14 barrel bombs on Saraqib city, Kafr Batikh, and al-Trenbeh in Idlib countryside.

The clashes are still taking place between the regime forces and loyalists against the factions, in areas at the southern and southeastern countryside of Idlib.

Sources informed the Syrian Observatory that regime forces were able to make new advances on their way to Saraqib and reached the outskirts of the town, after capturing Tal Mardikh, Jobas, Hertamia and Qamhana, making regime forces about two km away from Saraqib.

The number of areas that have been captured by regime forces, since Friday evening 24th of this month, rose to 37, (Telmans, Ma’ar Shmasha, Dier Sharqi, Dier Gharbi, Ma’arshamarin, Ma’rata, Al-Ghadfa, Marshourin, Al-Za’alana, Al-Dana, Tal Al-Sheikh, Sawami’e, Khirbet Mzayan, Masaran, Bsida and Taqana, Babolin, Kafr Bassin, Ma’arhatat, Hamidia, Dar es Salaam, Salhiya, Kafruma, Ma’rat al-Numan, Wadi Al-Dayif, Hantotin, al-Jarada, Ruwayha, Qahiriya, Ain Halban, Tal al-Dibis, Khan al-Sobul and Ma’ardabsi, Tal Mardikh, Jobas, Hertamia and Qamhana, Jobas, and Tal Mardikh)

The Syrian Observatory documented more heavy casualties between the warring sides due to air and ground bombardments and violent clashes since the evening of 24th of this month, where the death toll of regime forces and loyalists rose to 192, including six members of Iran-backed foreign militias, while the death toll of opposition fighters rose to 209, of whom 155 jihadist fighters.

Syrian Observatory sources report that a new massacre carried out by Russian jets, in which ten civilians were killed in Ariha city on Wednesday evening, one of the raids targeted the vicinity of the oven in the city, seven civilians were killed, including five women and a child, who are displaced from Joseph village in Jabal Zawiya, while the rest were killed in raids on al-Shami surgical hospital.