Jabhat Al-Nusra has suffered major setbacks in the battle for west Hama, as the recent arrival of Syrian Arab Army reinforcements have succored the civilian-led National Defense Forces (NDF) counter the militants in the area.

The Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” – a special operations unit – began their attacks on militants in Khattab, forcing the latter the retreat northeast. During the fierce clashes, 22 militants were killed by the Tiger Forces.

The NDF were able to thwart an infiltration attempt by Jabhat Al-Nusra, east of the Mhardeh Power Plant. Jabhat Al-Nusra continues to fire multiple rockets daily at the Power Plant, obstructing civilian technicians from restoring electricity to the civilians inside the city.