Militants make gains in Syria’s northwestern Idlib Province
Militant groups have made gains in Syria following a joint offensive on a major government-held town in the northwestern province of Idlib.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday that the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups have seized some checkpoints around the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughur, which is located near the border with Turkey.
The London-based group added that “fierce clashes” are still going on between government forces and militant groups in the town, which lies on a road between the coastal city of Latakia and Syria's largest city, Aleppo.
Despite the gains, the government in Damascus controls areas to the east of the province.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorists launched their offensive against Syrian forces in the province on Thursday.
Idlib has been the epicenter of deadly fighting between government troops and militants for months.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people, according to the observatory.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says over 7.2 million people have been internally displaced, and more than 3 million fled the country.
AR/HMV/SS
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