Syrian Forces Move Into Strategic Town, Tightening Grip on Rebels

Source:New York Times Date:21Aug2019

Syrian government troops are pushing into a strategic town in the country’s last rebel-held region, local witnesses and monitors said Tuesday, another milestone in a military campaign that has trapped about three million civilians in the area.

Rebels retreated to the town’s outskirts on Tuesday, though clashes continued. The main rebel group among the local fighters, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, portrayed the withdrawal as a “redeployment” and vowed to continue defending the town.

A fighter with the group, reached on WhatsApp, said the government had captured western and northern quarters of the town while rebels held the east and south.