Syrian forces and allied forces seized control of an air base in Idlib province on Saturday and said it was continuing its offensive to gain control of Syria’s biggest opposition stronghold, state television said.
The northwestern province of Syria has become a focal point of the war, with government forces occupying dozens of villages over the past weeks. With the help of Iranian-backed factions and air support from Russia, the forces advanced towards the Abu al-Thahr military airbase, which the opposition fighters expelled the army from in 2015.
In a broadcast from outside Abu al-Homs, Syrian television said the army was now combing al-Qaeda for mines and fighting opponents in its vicinity.
Hezbollah’s military information unit said the Syrian army and its allies broke into al Qaeda hours ago. She said other pro-government forces had taken control of villages in Aleppo’s countryside.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army and its allies had taken full control of the airport after heavy air strikes against opposition fighters.
The Observatory and the Military Information Unit said that groups of government forces were on two opposing axes on Saturday to divide the opposition-controlled area into two.
