The battle for southern Aleppo has recently intensified between the pro-government forces and the Islamist rebels, as both parties attempt to gain the upper-hand in this rugged region of northern Syria that is composed of mostly small hilltops and uninhabited farms.
On Monday morning, Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) – in coordination with Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham – launched a new assault on Banes near the strategic town of Tal Al-‘Eiss, capturing this small village after a violent firefight with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Aleppo City and the pro-government Palestinian milita “Liwaa Al-Quds” (Jerusalem Brigade).
Following their capture of Banes, the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra, Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki made another attempt for the strategic town of Tal Al-‘Eiss; however, they were unable to bypass the stiff defenses of the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division.