Amid ongoing offensive operations by the Syrian Arab Army against jihadist-led militias throughout southeast Idlib province, elite assault forces secured on Monday, January 8 morning another two towns en-route to a key airbase that has long since lost by government troops, Al-Masdar News says.

On Monday, assault units of the Syrian Arab Army’s elite Tiger Forces Division continued their assault in Idlib’s southeastern countryside, striking west of Sinjar – a major crossroad settlement recently secured by army troops that had served as a stronghold for Al-Qaeda-linked forces – and liberating the towns of A’jaz and Karratin al-Kabirah.

Some sources reported the capture of these two towns almost 18 hours ago, but Al-Masdar News was not able to confirm the information at the time.

The capture of A’jaz and Karratin al-Kabirah by Syrian forces not only serves as one less stepping stone en-route to the Abu Duhur military airport, but also serves to expand the buffer zone west of Sinjar, thus further securing their line of advance towards the airbase.

The Abu Duhur military airport was lost by the army to jihadist militias in 2015 after an almost three year siege. All of the Syrian troops who survived the battle – some 71 by most reports – were promptly executed by their captors.