LATEST: Video — Insurgents Blow Up Aleppo HQ, Kill 50+ Militia

As President Assad grabbed a photo opportunity by appearing at Eid prayers for the end of Ramadan, his top officials were visiting armed forces and loudly insisting that the regime is defeating “terrorists”, despite a series of deadly setbacks.

The Defense Minister, General Fahd Jassem al-Freij, toured an Army unit and visited injured troops in hospital. He said that the terrorists were serving the interests of Israel: “The soldiers he met asserted that they are prepared to sacrifice everything they have in order to restore security and stability to Syria.”

Interior Minister Mohammad al-Shaar, visiting troops north of Damascus, said the military’s efforts were “coming to fruition in all areas”: “The true Eid is when we meet after Syria have been free of the last terrorist.”

After a winter and spring in which it made gains near Aleppo and in the Qalamoun region between Damascus and the Lebanese border, as well as agreeing the departure of insurgents from almost all of Homs, the Assad regime has been pushed back by both insurgents and the jihadist Islamic State in recent weeks.

Insurgents have consolidated their hold over much of southern Syria between Quneitra and Daraa and advanced near Hama, while the Islamic State — breaking an effective non-aggressive pact — has punished the Syrian military in northern, central, and eastern Syria this month.

See Syria Daily, July 8: Islamic State Captures Another Regime Military Base

Video: Insurgents Blow Up Aleppo HQ, Kill 50+ Militia

Insurgents have used an underground detonation to blow up a former police headquarters in Aleppo which is being used as a base for shabiha (militia) — more than 50 militiamen were killed:

Insurgents Advance on Hama Military Airport, Take Weapons Depot and Checkpoint

Insurgents are pressing their advance in Hama Province, closing on Hama military airport.

After taking regime positions in the area, the opposition fighters are now about nine kilometers (5.5 miles) from the airport, where they claim the Syrian military makes barrel bombs and aircraft take off for their strikes on insurgent-held areas.

The insurgency seized a weapons depot on Sunday and claimed a major checkpoint at Tarabih, north of Hama city, on Monday night.
It has cut off the road linking Hama city to villages in the west of the province.

An insurgent commander said the regime was having to send reinforcements by withdrawing them from Aleppo Province, where they were hoping to pressure the opposition in and near Aleppo city.

The commander said his forces were already hitting Hama airport with Grad rockets.