According to sources in the Aleppo Governorate, a large number of military personnel from the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division, Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi paramilitary unit), the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Liwaa Al-Quds (Palestinian fighters from Aleppo) have gathered near the strategic town of Al-Zorba in order to position themselves for the 3rd phase of their northern Syria offensive.

In early December, the Syrian Arab Army’s 43rd and 154th Brigades of the 4th Mechanized Division – backed by Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba, Liwaa Al-Quds, and the National Defense Forces – seized the strategic towns of Khan Touman and Al-Khalidiyah along the vast Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway); however, since its capture, this front has remained relatively quiet, as much of the military personnel went on leave.

For the first time in nearly three weeks, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies began to bombard the Islamist controlled town of Al-Zorba with a relentless barrage of mortar shells and rockets, while the Russian Air Force carried out several air raids over I

Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham’s positions; this is similar to the events that transpired in early December when the Syrian Arab Army and their allies seized Khan Touman.

The goal of this offensive is to enter the Idlib Governorate’s northeastern countryside, while another unit from the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division pushes north to capture the town of Khan Al-Assal, which borders the southern sector of the Aleppo Governorate’s provincial capital.

No details were provided regarding the date this attack is expected to start; however, it is likely soon, as this is the first time that the pro-government units have amassed a force this large since the Khan Touman offensive.