Violent clashes dominate southern outskirts of Talbiseh

Clashes took place in areas at the southern outskirts of Talbiseh city in the northern countryside of Homs, between the rebel and Islamic factions against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, accompanied by exchange of shelling and targeting between both parties, which killed 2 fighters of the factions and information about more casualties in the ranks of both parties.

The Syrian Arab Army is slowly but systematically pursuing pincers to break down the jihadist defensive line in northeastern Hama, ultimately looking to drive Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) into the Idlib Governorate.

On Sunday, the Syrian army contingents led by elements of the 4th Mechanized Division renewed attempts to seize the HTS stronghold of Balil. As two head-on assaults over the past 72 hours have proven fruitless, government forces are now trying to envelop the town and force jihadist militants to either face certain death through encirclement or conduct a tactical withdrawal, exposing them to Russian and Syrian warplanes from above.

Heavy clashes are taking place near the imperative town of Zafriyah between HTS and the SAA as the latter tries to put Balil on lockdown through advancing on its eastern flank. If Zafriyah falls into government hands, Balil will be virtually indefensible, a military source embedded with the 4th Division told Al-Masdar News today.

On a different axis in rural Hama, SAA units led by the Qalamoun Shield Division resumed their counter-insurgency operations at Rahjan. On Sunday alone, over 15 sorties were conducted by Russian jets and Syrian choppers on HTS-held positions in and around Rahjan, Umm Maiyal, Shakousyah and Janenah.

Thus far, the SAA has entered Rahjan from its southern entrance although fierce clashes continue as we speak with jihadist combattants still occupying most of the town, considered a priceless buffer for HTS.

The military source stressed that the SAA was expected to advance rapidly in the coming days, utilizing their overwhelming numbers and firepower against HTS and its allies. He added that if the SAA takes control of Balil and Rahjan, HTS will struggle to hold their last stretch of land in northeastern Hama.

An explosion shook Khan Shaykhun city in the southern countryside of Idlib, it turned out that it was caused by an IED explosion in a car belongs to “manager of Hama Electricity ” which injured him, while a shell of “hell cannon” exploded in a location of Jaysh al-Nasr in Tremla village in the southern countryside of Idlib, killing 2 members and injuring another, while the tension prevails Eblin village in Jabal Al-Zawiyah, after the clashes that erupted between members of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-sham against Jund al-Malahem faction which defected of it accompanied by exchange of targeting, after which several members of both parties were killed and others were injured in the clashes.

 Warplanes continue carrying out airstrikes targeting the sites of the faction and Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham in the northern countryside of Hama, in conjunction with the decline of clashes in the vicinity of al-Rahjan town, which is the birthplace of the Syrian Regime’s Defense Minister, between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and the rebel and Islamic factions.

Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the regime forces managed to storm into the town after carrying out more than 50 raids by 3 warplanes today Sunday the 3rd of December 2017, in conjunction with artillery and missile shelling, and the clashes are still ongoing in an attempt by the regime forces to control the positions they advanced to, while the factions try to advance and control positions they lost in the same town.