The Syrian Arab Army’s 11th Tank Division has announced the capture of Camp Khazanat (Reservoir Camp) after weeks of heavy firefights with Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham (Falcons of the Levant Brigades) north of the city of Morek. According to a military source, Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham suffered heavy casualties during the battle; this forced them to retreat north to the city of Khan Sheikhoun. Camp Khazanat is located southeast of the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun in the Idlib Governorate.

As a result of the capture of Camp Khazanat, the 11th Tank Division has officially entered southern Khan Sheikhoun; this comes 6 months after the SAA withdrew south from the city. The recent success in northern Hama has paved the way for the 11th Tank Division to continue their offensive into southern Idlib, while rebel forces continue to wage war against one another inside the province.

Khan Sheikhoun is imperative to the Syrian Arab Army’s Central Command due to its proximity to the vital supply route on the M-5 Highway. If captured, the SAA will have access to one of Syria’s largest highways that links Damascus to the northern Syria via the provinces of Homs and Hama. The control of another major highway in Syria is critical to the Central Command because it also gives the SAA safe passage from the southern and northern fronts.