Assad’s forces resume shelling of Idlib
President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have suspended a cease-fire and resumed airstrikes against Syria’s last rebel stronghold of Idlib, accusing the opposition of violating the truce.
ALEPPO — Regime forces and their allies took control of the towns of Zakat and Arbaeen in the northern Hama countryside on Aug. 7, after fierce battles against the armed opposition using unprecedented heavy, air and ground weapons.
The regime forces began their offensive in the dark of night after paving the way for their advance by bombarding opposition positions, advancing from two axes starting from their positions in Tell Meleh and al-Jabin.
The regime’s heavy shelling forced the opposition to retreat and withdraw from its positions in Zakat and Arbaeen, as Russian and Syrian warplanes launched dozens of airstrikes targeting opposition positions and supply routes, not to mention the simultaneous heavy artillery and rocket shelling.
Aerial bombardments killed a number of opposition fighters as well as a media activist and four military observers in the area between the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib.
