Syrian Forces Break Rebel 3-Year Siege Of Key Towns

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Syria’s army and its allies have broken a three-year rebel siege of two Shia towns in northwest Syria, the government and rebel groups said, cutting off a main supply route to nearby Turkey. The breakthrough comes after days of rapid military gains north of the major city of Aleppo, with Russian air strikes playing a key role in the advance.

The two towns of Nubul and Zahraa, with an estimated 60,000 population, are connected to the border by areas under the control of Kurdish militias that provided access. The Levant Front rebel said the siege was broken “after three days of legendary resistance by the revolutionaries facing the Russian military machine, and after more than 500 raids by Russian air planes”, Reuters news agency reported.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Thursday “mass celebrations in the streets of Nubul and Zahraa welcoming army troops and celebrating the breaking of the siege”.

The Al-Manar television station of Lebanese militia Hezbollah broadcast what it said was exclusive footage of Syrian government and allied fighters entering the towns. The channel showed crowds embracing soldiers and militiamen who fired into the air as they arrived. The two towns had been besieged by rebels since 2012, and reaching them had long been a goal of the government, which has also sought to sever key rebel supply routes into Aleppo from Turkey.