The Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” and the militants from the Islamist conglomerate “Jaysh Al-Fatah” exchanged blows on Monday, as both parties entered into a tug-of-war battle for control of Highway 56 at the southern perimeter of Jisr Al-Shughour in the Idlib Governorate.

Early Monday morning, the militants from Jaysh Al-Fatah destroyed the Brick Factory after months of besieging this building; this was followed by their subsequent capture of the eastern perimeter of the camp, where they advanced as far as the army base before being forestalled by the National Defense Forces (NDF).

The Tiger Forces launched an assault of their own in the Jisr Al-Shughour District, taking control of the villages of Ghaniyah, Ziyarah, Qastoun, and Misheek after fierce clashes with the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” on Monday afternoon.

Jaysh Al-Fatah did not wait long to counter this Tiger Forces assault, as they would respond with a powerful attack at Qastoun in order to reenter this town in southeast Jisr Al-Shughour – fighting is still ongoing this morning, with both sides in a deadlock for control of this town.

Jabhat Al-Nusra and their allies from Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham and Ajnad Al-Sham attempted to break into the Syrian Government controlled town of Ariha from their positions at Kafr Lata; however, they were repelled by the SAA and NDF soldiers protecting the eastern sector of the city, killing as many as 25 enemy combatants before the Islamist forces withdrew their attack.

At the National Hospital in Jisr Al-Shughour, Jaysh Al-Fatah attempted to infiltrate past the 87th Brigade’s frontline defenses, but they were unable to advance past the hill adjacent to the western part of the building; this was due in large part to the Islamist forces suffering heavy casualties while they inched closer to the heavily fortified building.

According to the field statistics collected by Al-Masdar News, 36 Saudi nationals from Jaysh Al-Fatah have been reportedly killed since the advent of this Islamist offensive in the Idlib Governorate.