Syrian rebel fighters have reportedly seized the strategically important town of Maaret al-Numan today, with report that government forces have withdrawn from all checkpoints in the area except for the one at the entrance.
The town has been contested for months, and the military had been effectively in control since June. The town, in the Idlib Province, lies of the highway between Aleppo and the capital city of Damascus, effectively cutting Aleppo off from reinforcements.
Aleppo has been the site of some of the bloodiest fighting for over a month now, with both rebels and regime predicting a quick victory but instead seeing a stalemate, bringing Syria’s largest city and industrial capital to a standstill as much of it is now a constant open-fire zone.
As Syria’s most important city, Aleppo of course has more than one highway leading to it, so it is unclear how important losing the one to Damascus will be for regime forces there. Still, the move suggests the rebels are trying to make inroads in Syria’s supply routes.
When the "freedom fighters" are finished dancing on a tank in front of a camera as they "celebrate" allegedly 'liberating' a town…a 'town' which had an estimated total population of ~ 60,000 people prior to he 'conflict'…a town of ~60,000 people in a nation with an estimated population of over 22.5 million people…perhaps the "freedom fighter" rebels can help the poor Nation of Turkey as they (the Nation of Turkey) attempt to fend off the 'aggressive' incursion by the 'Brutal Assad Regime' which apparently "threatens" the Nation of Turkey's "boarders" and "sovereignty"…
I would just suggest the "freedom fighters" take care of the alleged 'only remain checkpoint' before proclaiming "victory"…the 'checkpoint' which allegedly just so happens to be "the one at the entrance" of the town…
Anyway…
It seems as though the almighty "rebels" have been experiencing some 'recruiting' "issues" recently…
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeas…
Drugging and holding potential 'recruits' hostage??? Wow… This is definitely a winning formula here, as it provides potential "rebels' with a preliminary taste of the "freedom" promised…
It's good you are a source of real news Ben.