On December 9, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) launched a surprise attack against Hayat Tahrir al-ham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) from its positions in northern Hama and captured the villages of Umm Khazem and Balil in southern Idlib, according to pro-government sources.
Five fighters of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were captured by the Syrian soldiers during the clashes in the two villages, according to reports.
The SAA lost all of its positions in the southern Idlib countryside when HTS and its allies captured the strategic Abu Dali village north of the villages of Umm Kazem and Balil on October 8.