The Syrian army achieved a major breakthrough overnight after a week-long series of back-and-forth clashes in the southern countryside of Aleppo with Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian jihadist militia with close ties to Al-Qaeda, Al-Masdar News reports.

The army managed to impose full control over Al-Rashadiyah in the early hours of Friday, November 24. This is a key town and is located a few kilometers west of the main government supply line leading to Aleppo City.

At the moment, the Syrian army is trying to fortify Al-Rashadiyah in order to prevent an HTS counter-offensive. In addition, reports indicate that government forces have reached the outskirts of HTS-controlled Ramlah, an imperative town en route to Abu Dahur Airbase, the long-term strategic offensive of the Syrian army’s ongoing offensive which is led by Major General Muhammad Khaddour.

The HTS defensive line in southern Aleppo was said to have buckled due to simultaneous offensives by the army on two flanks in the neighboring Hama governorate, rendering jihadist forces unable to defend all areas at once.