Sputnik/ Michael Alaeddin
On Tuesday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) launched a large military operation in an attempt to split the militant-held area in the Daraa province into two separate parts.
Initially, the SAA and the NDF captured the Daraa Air Defense Base and the Dahdah Hill, but then government forces were pushed to retreat under a pressure from the joint militant forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda).
According to available data, government forces lost at least 1 battle tank during the clashes. Another governemnt battle tank was also reportedly destroyed by militants, but this has to be confirmed.
The SAA and the NDF also pushed in the direction of the Grain warehouses but were not able to make notable gains.
According to local sources, clashes are still ongoing in the Daraa countryside.
A pro-militant map showing the situation in the area:
Click to see the full-size map
