MediPHOTO: Captured regime troops from offensive north of Aleppo

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It now appears that the Assad regime has suffered defeat in its counter-offensive north of Aleppo. The question is the significance of that loss.

Within 48 hours of Tuesday’s surprise assault by Syrian forces — including Hezbollah, Iranian, and Afghan fighters — rebels had retaken almost all territory, including two of the three villages briefly occupied by the attackers. The effort to relieve pressure on the regime enclaves of Nubl and al-Zahraa, surrounded by the opposition for months, had failed.

At the same time, Jabhat al-Nusra repelled a regime attack closer to Aleppo. Near Handarat, on the main road to opposition-held areas of the city, it inflicted heavy casualties in what it called a “killing field”.

Opposition activists, citing a “rebel leader”, indicated last night that the village of Rityan was now under full rebel control. Hardantain had been cleared of regime troops “except for two buildings”, but Bashqwy is still occupied by Syrian forces.

[UPDATE 1100 GMT: The Islamic Front is claiming on its Twitter account that regime forces have pulled out of Bashqwy.]

The extent of the regime’s losses is still not known, but activists and rebel sources are speaking of hundreds of fighters killed, wounded, and captured. Videos and photographs support the claims of significant losses both in the fight for the three villages and near Handarat. Opposition activists say that victory has come at the cost of 52 rebel lives across all fronts.

Pro-regime outlets such as Al-Mayadeen TV continue to maintain that Syrian troops hold at least one of the villages, that casualties have been exaggerated, and that almost no Hezbollah and Iranians were involved in the battles.

Claimed footage of slain rebels appeared on YouTube on Thursday and was circulated by pro-regime activists on Twitter; however, the video is actually from April 2013.

In contrast to these declarations, State news agency SANA has stopped reporting on the offensive.

Video of captured regime troops:

With the apparent loss, the regime may hope to return attention to its offensive south of Damascus, which began more than two weeks ago to push back months of opposition advances. Wednesday’s fighting appears to be for a hill near the town of Deir Maker along the 20-km (12-mile) frontline in northern Daraa Province.

Rebels had retaken Tel Fatima earlier this week, but pro-regime media are claiming that Syrian forces have both held Deir Maker and seized the hill.

In the initial stage of the offensive, the Assad troops captured the town of Deir al-Addas, but rebels held the line at the towns of Kafr Nasij and Kafr Shams.

In an interesting shift of rhetoric, the pro-Assad outlets are acknowledging — in contrast to the fight in Aleppo Province — that Hezbollah are leading the southern offensive. A headline in Al-Masdar News proclaims, “The Al-Nusra Front Suffers Setbacks as Hezbollah Advances South“.


Swedish Journalist Missing Near Syrian-Turkish Border

A Swedish freelance journalist is missing in the Syrian-Turkish border area.

The Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that the journalist had planned to enter an area of northwest Syria controlled by the Islamic State, via the Turkish town of Gaziantep. There has been on contact with him for four days.

Opposition: We Have Retaken al-Mallah Farms North of Aleppo, Pushed Back Regime Threat to Supply Route

Rebel sources and activists are reporting that the opposition, including Jabhat al-Nusra and Free Syrian Army units, have secured the al-Mallah Farms area near Handarat, north of Aleppo.

Following the failure of a regime counter-offensive, the rebel advance would be significant in lifting a months-long threat by Syrian forces to the main supply route to opposition-held areas of Syria’s largest city.

There are unconfirmed reports that rebels have pushed into the town of Handarat.

Earlier this week, Jabhat al-Nusra and other factions inflicted heavy losses as regime forces attacked.

Fighters tour the area:

The Free Syrian Army destroying a regime T-72 tank with a TOW anti-tank guided missile:

A half-hour video from a rebel faction, probably made up of foreign fighters, about the battle (Warning — Extreme Graphic)

MAP ALEPPO AREA

(Map: Syria Direct)

Photo: Free Syrian Army Soldiers in Snow in Latakia Province in Western Syria

FSA FIGHTERS LATAKIA SNOWl