The Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” (Victory Front) – in cooperation with the Free Syrian Army’s 1st Brigade – has launched a large-scale offensive in the southern Dara’a Governorate city of Busra Al-Sham that is geared to give the rebel groups access to southern Sweida and another border entry point into Jordan.

The rebel contingents attacked the Syrian Arab Army’s 5th Armored Division and National Defense Forces (NDF) at the historical Busra Al-Sham castle from the north, resulting in their initial infiltration into this site.

However, after fierce clashes that lasted over eight hours on Sunday, the SAA and NDF were able to drive-out the Al-Qaeda rebel groups and assert full-control over the castle and the city of Busra Al-Sham.

During the rebel attack on the Busra Al-Sham castle, Jabhat Al-Nusra lost upwards around 30 militants, including two field commanders identified as the following: ‘Umar bin ‘Abdel-‘Aziz and Ahmad ‘Abdullah Al-Hariri.

With the rebels concentrating on Busra Al-Sham, a contingent from the SAA’s 5th Division attacked Jabhat Al-Nusra at Busra-Dara’a Road in Jeeza, killing 11 enemy combatants, while attempting to cutoff the rebel supply route to their militants entrenched at Busra Al-Sham.

The NDF launched an attack on the FSA’s 1st Brigade at Busra-Hamreed Road; this resulted in the destruction of an armored vehicle that was mounted with a 23mm anti-aircraft machine gun.

The town of Al-Hirak has been immersed in fierce clashes between the SAA’s 5th Division and Jabhat Al-Nusra, as both forces continue to trade blows in order gain ground in the east.

On Sunday, a huge explosion rocked the town of Inkhil, as the Syrian Arab Air Force pounded a number of rebel gatherings in this area, killing over a dozen militants, including Abdullah Mohammad Al-Farwan, Mohammad Mou’az Al-Farwan, Ibrahim Bassam Al-Shebli, Ghassan ‘Abdel-Lateef Al-Badaywi, Nizar Qassem Al-Farouh, and ‘Abdel-Rawouf Yasser Al-Siba’ay,

The SAA’s 7th Mechanized Division surprised the militants from Jabhat Al-Nusra with a merciless assault on their positions in the town Zimreen; this attack resulted in the death of 19 enemy combatants, including Isma’eel Mohammad Al-Fawzi, Qassem ‘Usama Abu Zaid, and Shadi Mustafa Al-Sa’adi.