DAMASCUS, June 10 (Xinhua) -- After regaining the strategic central city of al-Qussair, the Syrian army has unleashed another wide-scale operation to secure the countryside of northern province of Aleppo, pro-government al-Watan daily reported Monday.
The fresh offensive, named the "North Storm," started at dawn Saturday, aims to dislodge the armed rebels from the countryside of Aleppo, the paper said.
The Syrian troops advanced toward the towns of Hraitan, Kafr Hamra, and Atareb, the paper said, adding that army has also cut off two routes that constitute a key supply line for the rebels at the Andan town.
Hisham Jaber, a retired Lebanese Colonel, told the Lebanese LDC TV that the Syrian troops have prepared to wrest control over rebel-held area in the Homs province after finishing al-Qussair.
He said that the Aleppo battle would need four military brigades to squash the rebels, adding that the battle would focus on four key centers.
Other experts said that Aleppo battle aims primarily to separate the city from its countryside and to cut the rebels' supply line from neighboring Turkey in order to weaken them before storming the rebel-held areas inside the city.
BEIRUT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group categorically denied on Saturday reports of its members being taken prisoners by armed militants in Syria.
In a statement by its media department, Hezbollah said "not a single combatant from our mujahideen had fallen into their hands." Full story
DAMASCUS, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Wednesday scored a sweeping victory against the rebels by stripping them of the strategic central city of al-Qussair, while opposition leaders to attribute the army's victory to the backing of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Full story
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