The jihadists left a total of 16 villages including Kafer Kalbayn, Sindif, Tel Husseyin and Hazal, which had been under Daesh control for several months. The terrorists beat a hasty retreat to focus on repelling attacks launched by Syrian government forces on the city of Al-Bab in Aleppo.
It was reported that the Daesh terrorists fled with their weapons this time, but did not leave any mines and traps in the villages as they have repeatedly done in the past.
Upon entering the villages, Syrian Democratic Forces soldiers approached the city of Jarabulus in northern Aleppo, as well as a road to the strategic Syrian city of Azaz, on the other side of the Daesh-controlled territory bordering Turkey.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that at least 23 civilians have been killed and 47 more wounded in Aleppo province in the preceeding 24 hours as a result of terrorist artillery and mortar fire.
According to the Ministry, the Syrian Army is getting closer to Raqqa; it is backed by the Russian air force. Meanwhile Daesh terrorists are attempting to take control of Aleppo.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.
A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27, but it does not apply to terrorist organizations active in the country, such as Daesh and the al-Nusra Front, which are outlawed in many countries, including Russia.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, violence has escalated in Syria in recent weeks, especially in the northern Aleppo region.
