The Syrian regime controls a strategic town in southern Idlib countryside

The Syrian Ministry of Defense said that its forces took control of three towns in Idlib and Hama countryside (northern Syria), including the city of al-Hubeit in the southern countryside of Idlib, which is strategically important as it is close to the main highway between Damascus and Aleppo.

The ministry added in a statement that the regime forces took control of Tal Shakik and the towns of Skik, Al-Hubit and other areas after a large attack on opposition positions.

According to the official Syrian News Agency (SANA) that the regime forces carried out a prelude to artillery and rockets against the fortifications of the opposition forces in the Hubeit area, before they engaged in fierce clashes that lasted for hours, and ended with the withdrawal of opposition militants to the depth of the de-escalation zone, especially towards the city of Khan Sheikhoun, a city The largest is in the southern countryside of Idlib, located 11 kilometers east of Al-Hubit.

The biggest progress
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the regime's control of al-Hbeit represented the most important advance of its forces in Idlib province since the start of its offensive on the last opposition stronghold three months ago.

The Lebanese Hizbullah military media unit described the Hubit as the gateway to the southern countryside of Idlib, to the main highway between Damascus and Aleppo and to the city of Khan Sheikhoun.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday's fighting in Idlib countryside resulted in the deaths of more than 100 fighters from the regime and the opposition.

The control of al-Hbeit, which has been under the control of armed opposition factions since 2012, came after the regime forces and Russia carried out dozens of airstrikes, coinciding with the ground shelling and explosive barrels of regime forces, especially the southern countryside of Idlib and Hama north.

Sources in the Syrian armed opposition told Al-Jazeera that the regime forces took control of al-Hbeit and the village of Maghar al-Hamam in the southern countryside of Idlib after battles between the two sides.

It is noteworthy that the regime forces resumed last week their attack on the southern countryside of Idlib after the collapse of the ceasefire declared unilaterally by Damascus.

Sham network reported today that the city of Khan Sheikhoun was subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russian aircraft in conjunction with Eid al-Adha prayers. In the city of Kafr Nabil, north of Khan Sheikhoun, Eid prayers in the city were canceled due to shelling from rocket launchers of the regime.

Hmimim base
On the other hand, Syrian state television said that the air defenses at Hmeimim base in Lattakia countryside confronted objects likely to be drones fired by terrorist groups, as he described them.

The attack in the northwest of Syria triggered warnings from the United Nations and aid agencies of a new humanitarian crisis after hundreds of thousands of clashes fled for a safe haven on the border with Turkey.

More than 700,000 Syrians have fled military operations in the past five months.