IMAGE: The scene in Jobar in northeast Damascus on Tuesday

Following the rebel defeat of a regime offensive in Daraa Province in southern Syria, headline battles on Tuesday moved to northeast Damascus and to southern Aleppo Province.

Rebels launched fresh attacks on the Syrian military in the Jobar section of Damascus as part of their “Straightening the Lines” offensive, hoping to link up units in Jobar with the Damascus suburbs of Harasta and Qaboun.

Pro-opposition activists claimed that the rebels, including the leading faction Jaish al-Islam, took the Electricity Department and several buildings in the Tiba neighborhood, destroying a tank and capturing heavy and light weapons. They announced the death of several Syrian troops and militia, including a commander in a pro-Assad militia.

The regime responded with airstrikes and tank shelling, as fighting continued through the day. The opposition claims that Syrian forces fired 21 Russian-made BM-30 Smerch missiles with multiple warheads.

Jobar has been held by the opposition since 2012, despite persistent regime bombardment and ground attacks.

Rebels in trenches and tunnels in Jobar:

In southern Aleppo Province in northwest Syria, rebels attacked Syrian forces in the town of al-Rashadiyah, claimed by the regime a week ago.

Rashadiyah is located on the highway from Aleppo city to Khanasser, a key route south into Hama Province.

Pro-Assad outlets say the rebel attacks were repelled, with Syrian troops reinforced by the Palestinian militia Liwa Al-Quds and supported by airstrikes.

New clashes were also reported in the Salaheddin section of Aleppo city, where rebels have been attacking regime positions over the past week.

Report: Jordan Considering No-Fly Zone in Southern Syria

The Jordanian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ensour, has reportedly told journalists that the country is considering the unilateral declaration of a no-fly zone in southern Syria.

The Prime Minister said the safe areas on the Syrian-Jordanian border were needed “to deal with the large influx in the number of Syrian refugees” and a potential humanitarian “disaster”.

The UN said Jordan now has almost 630,000 “persons of concern” in the country. The Prime Minister warned that the total of refugees could soon be more than a million and could reach 2 million if the conflict worsened.

He noted obstacles to the plan, such as the presence of regime forces despite recent rebel victories along teh border and the continuing operations of the Syrian air force. Sources said King Abdullah II will raise the issue with President Obama during a visit to Washington this month.

Rebels Announce Major Offensive on Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib Province

Rebels have announced the next phase of their major offensive in Idlib Province in northwest Syria, declaring a move on Jisr al-Shughour near the Turkish border.

Captain Islam Alloush, the spokesman for the Islamic Front, posted on Twitter:

Regime outposts around Jisr Al-shughour city are now under Heavy artillery fire paving the way for the ground offensive #Jaishalislam #Syria — C. Islam Alloush (@IslamAllousheng) April 22, 2015

Alloush said the capture of Jisr al-Shughour would open the way to an assault on President Assad’s militias in their “home” of the Ghab Plain and Latakia Mountain in western Syria.

Thousands of fighters — unconfirmed claims from activist said 12,000 — are involved in the offensive.

Initial footage of the attacks:

One of the large rockets being fired at pro-Assad militia:

Jisr al-Shughour, with a pre-war population of about 45,000 people, is on the main highway from Aleppo to Latakia on the Mediterranean coast.

The move comes less than a month after rebels took the provincial capital of Idlib city. Since then, fighting has been concentrated south of Idlib, near the regime’s Mastoumeh camp and down the main highway to Ariha.

Iranian Commander Killed in Failed Regime Offensive in South

The Iranian outlet ABNA confirms the death of an Iranian commander, Hadi Kajbaf, in this week’s fighting in Syria.

Syrian rebels had circulated the news that Kajbaf was killed in a heavy defeat for Syrian forces when they tried to take the town of Busra al-Harir in southern Syria.

A number of Afghan immigrants, sent by Tehran to fight for the Assad regime with promises of money and residency in Iran, were also slain.

See Syria Daily, April 21: Regime Suffers Another Military Defeat in South

(Cross-posted from Iran Daily)

Regime Continues Aerial Assault Near Idlib, Deadly Strike on Maarat Num’an

The Syrian air force continues to retaliate for the loss of Idlib city to rebels in late March, with deadly attacks throughout Idlib Province.

Raids on Tuesday included a strike on the town of Maarat Num’an which killed several civilians. Extremely graphic video showed people retrieving body parts from the streets.

A less graphic clip of the aftermath of the airstrike:

In the three weeks since the fall of the provincial capital Idlib, the Syrian air force has tried to break up opposition control by destroying key institutions and services and striking civilians.

See Syria Daily, April 15: Regime Counter-Attack Fails Near Idlib, But Bombing Kills Dozens

Levant Front, Rebel Bloc in Aleppo, Dissolves After 4 Months

The Levant Front, the rebel bloc created in December in Aleppo, has dissolved.

Opposition media reports that the Front’s Shura Council made the decision this week. No reason has been given, although analysts are speculating that the break-up is over internal divisions over ideology and tactics.

The Front was made up of five major rebel groups, including the Aleppo wing of the leading rebel bloc, the Islamic Front. It was significant in the defeat of a major regime offensive north of Aleppo in February.

Rebel sources are emphasizing that the dissolution is political and will not affect the joint military operations room among the groups.