Assad forces break through opposition blockade in north Syria

[cqo_000]

Source: REUTERS

Syrian government troops have broken through a six-month opposition blockade in northern Syria and are now fighting to recapture a vital highway, opposition and state media said on Monday.

The insurgents counter-attacked on Monday but their front has been weakened in recent weeks due to infighting and the deployment of forces to other battles, activists said.

"The break of the blockade yesterday allowed the army to drive six lorries full of weapons to get into the bases of Wadi Deif and Hamidiya," Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Reuters.

"We will see now what happens but if the opposition can push back the regime, they can avoid a major setback. If the regime is able to hold this opening it could take back the whole road and that will have major strategic consequences," he said.

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[David__77]

1. The government army would be wise to try a flanking tactic.

It's not as if those insurgents are mobile. Operations to encircle and destroy would work well against an overconfident guerrilla force that prematurely moved to positional warfare.

[delrem]

2. That kind of armchair talk just isn't right. nt

[David__77]

3. OK, how about this?

I HOPE that the Syrian government forces smash the radical theocratic terrorists in Syria. No armchair talk there. Just an expressed hope.

[delrem]

4. Better than pretending to be god's given military strategist, but not much. nt

[Poll_Blind]

6. "God's given military strategist"? Lay off. Uncalled for. nt

PB

[delrem]

7. OK, just a guy who figures he should take over strategy for the war. From an armchair.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. I think that's what they did, how they broke through.