Rebel Artillery Strike Destroys Northern Syria Military Base

A military base belonging to Syria’s Fourth Division was destroyed on Saturday by heavy artillery fire from the rebel al-Tahrir wal-Bina. The building was in Tadif, near Aleppo.

Details are still emerging, as this is in rebel-held territory and off the beaten path. State media confirmed that Syrian soldiers were killed in the attack, though the exact toll has not been released.

The Aleppo area and the adjoining part of Idlib Province are the last rebel-held territory in northern Syria. Turkey backs most of these rebels, and Syria has aimed to overtake them as a way to effectively end the war.

Rebel territory has been shrinking for years, but this attack shows the rebels, when they have sufficient weapons to bring to bear, can still wipe out a military post and put the regime back on the defensive.