2012-09-17 N Syria
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Incirlik TURKEY Campaign for North Syria Jarabulus September 2012 Kilis Camp 56 The ongoing campaign for Aleppo has taken place not only in the city’s Iskenderun Azaz 56 Afrin neighborhoods, but also throughout Aleppo and Idlib province, as regime and opposition forces maneuver for control of critical lines of supply. 5 Marea Daret Izza al-Bab 1) By the end of August 2012, rebels gained control of the section of highway 52 3 between Maarat al-Numan and Saraqib, forcing the regime to use the coastal Reyhanli Camp Anadan Bab Hawa highway to reinforce and resupply its forces in Aleppo city. This circuitous Hatay 3 route goes through the village of Ariha, and Jebal al-Zawiya based rebels Harim fought regime forces for control of the chokepoint town throughout late Atareb Salqin Aleppo August and early September. 54 Taftanaz 2) As the regime has brought more forces into Aleppo city to regain control of Idlib the commercial hub, rebels have increased pressure on outlying bases, LEGEND Saraqib overrunning some and forcing the regime to abandon others. In June, rebels Ariha Abu Duhur 1 Rebel Controlled 52 54 overran outposts in Jebal al-Zawiya and Daret Izza. Jisr al-Shughour 1 Majority Kurdish 3) By August, rebels had seized the military base in Maarat al Numan, and the 3 Town/Village regime wtihdrew from positions in Bab Hawa and al-Bab. Maarat al-Numan Provincial Capital 4) When the regime increased its reliance on air power, rebels responded by Khan Sheykhun Seaport Latakia Qardahah mounting major attacks against helicopter bases and airelds in Taftanaz and 5 Airfield/Airport Abu Duhur, and succeeded in partially overruning the latter, destroying a Qalat al-Madiq Helo Base number of aircraft on the runway. Muhradeh Base/Outpost 5) Some regime outposts have become isolated, forced to rely on air Baniyas Overrun/Abandoned re-supply alone. At Minakh air base near Azaz, regime forces shell Hama Refugee Camp surrounding villages but don‘t have enough strength to leave the base, while rebels mount repeated attempts to take over the base. At the southern end of Jebal al-Zawiya, regime outposts in Qalat al Madiq and Kafr Zeita have TURKEY Tartous Rastan withstood rebel assaults but are similarly isolated. Talbisseh SYRIA 6) The Assad regime withdrew from the majority-Kurdish areas along the Turkish border at the end of July, amidst reports that the security forces were Telkalakh Homs handing over control of local security to the Democratic Union Party (PYD), LEBANON IRAQ the Syrian branch of the terrorist-designated Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This move both freed up forces needed elsewhere, and complicated Turkish al Qusayr JORDAN Wadi Khalid involvement in Syria. All indications are that the Syrian Kurds in these areas Tripoli have established basic security and self-governance, but it remains to be seen 10 mi what role the PKK will play in these areas. It also remains to be seen how LEBANON 20 km Kurdish militias will interact with Sunni Arab rebel groups..