Intense fights in Aleppo

On August 1, Jaysh Al-Fateh and Jabhet Fateh al-Sham units captured the 1070 Al-Hamdaniyah Housing Project and Hikma school in southern Aleppo. Following this success, jihadists continued an offensive in the direction of the Artillery Faculty and the Al-Assad Military Academy where they were involved in heavy clashes with the Syrian Army.

If the Al-Assad Military Academy is recaptured, jihadists will be able to formally lift the siege from the jihadi-controlled areas of Aleppo city. However, even in this case, deliver of supplies to the area will be difficult. According pro-government sources, Russian warplanes conduct air raids in the areas of Al-‘Amariyah, Hikmah School, Al-Ramouseh and Sheikh Sa’eed in order to assist the pro-government forces repelling the jihadi offensive.

On July 31, various jihadi factions, including Jabhet Fateh al-Sham (Al Nusra Front), Ahrar al-Sham, al-Jabhat al-Islāmiyyah (the Islamic Front), Jaysh Al-Fateh (Army of Conquest), Ajnad al-Sham and Suqour al-Jabal united efforts in an attempt to break the siege from east Aleppo that had been set up by the Syrian government forces earlier this week.

Initially, the main goal of the militant advance was to re-open the strategic Castello Highway that leads to the militant-held areas of Aleppo city. Nonetheless, the jihadists were able to develop the momentum in southern Aleppo. This shited the attention of the jihadi forces.

Now the most important and heavy clashes are ongoing there. If pro-government forces are able to repell this attempt, they will be able to start full-scale operation to liberate the militant-controlled parts of Aleppo city.