The regime forces backed by Hezbollah and Russian artillery complete the siege on al-Bab area, the biggest strongholds of the “Islamic State” organization in the countryside of Aleppo after 20 days of the start of the military operation

With the military operations of the regime in the southern countryside of al-Bab end its 20^th day, the regime forces supported by elite forces of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the artillery battalions and Russian tanks, the process of completing the siege on al-Bab city and its vicinity -the largest strongholds of the “Islamic State” organization that remains under the control of the last mentioned in the countryside of Aleppo- the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities managed to end the 19^th day of their military operations by advancing to Tal Awisha which is located a few hundred meters from the road connecting al-Bab area and the eastern countryside of Aleppo and the provinces of Al -Raqqah and Deir Ezzor, and that hours after controlling Awisha village, and thus the regime forces completed the siege around the “Islamic State” organization in al-Bab city and the towns of Bzaah, Qabasin and Tedef, in parallel with the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic Factions of the “Euphrates Shield” operation east of Bzaah and southeast of it, which is located to the east of al-Bab city, and by that the regime forces took control of the road connecting between al-Bab area and the rest of the Syrian areas.

This advancement came after about 24 hours of the Turkish forces and the “Euphrates Shield’s” Failure in holding their control over Bzaah town of which they lost, returning to the “Islamic State” organization’s control again, after a counter attacks by members of the organization, started by detonating a booby trapped vehicle targeting a location of the “Euphrates Shield” forces and the Turkish forces supporting them, and caused casualties in the ranks of the last mentioned.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also received information from several reliable sources at the end of January 2017, that the “Islamic State” organization is worried about the siege in al-Bab area and started getting ready to retreat of it, by sending the families of its fighters and its leaders from the city and the area around al-Bab, to areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in other Syrian areas, also the Syrian Observatory for human rights documented in the 4^th of February the killing of about 40 members of the “Islamic State” organization in clashes that took place in Bzaah and Aran and in the southern and southeastern countryside of al-Bab, where more than 15 of them were killed on the fronts against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in the southern countryside of al-Bab.