Syrian army regains control of airbase
Rebels from Southern Front alliance withdraw
beirut — Syrian army troops regained full control of an airbase in southern Sweida province on Friday, a day after rebels overran large parts of it, a monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels from the Southern Front alliance withdrew from the Al Thalaa base under heavy government fire.
“Opposition fighters withdrew from areas they seized yesterday after heavy government aerial bombardment and the arrival of reinforcements from the (pro-government militia) National Defence Forces and Popular Committees,” said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.
He said there were casualties on both sides in the fighting.
Rebels from the Southern Front alliance entered the airport on Thursday, quickly seizing most of the facility. It was the first such advance by rebels into Sweida, a province which is largely in government hands and home to the a majority of Syria’s Druze minority.
Opposition fighters withdrew from areas they seized yesterday after heavy aerial bombardment and the arrival of reinforcements
Rami Abdel Rahman, Observatory chief
Syrian state television had denied that the airport had fallen to rebels, and the provincial governor insisted life was continuing “as normal” in the region.
The rebel advance into Al Thalaa came after they had captured on Tuesday the 52nd Brigade base, located in neighbouring Daraa province.
Sweida province has been spared much of the fighting in Syria.
The Druze made up around three per cent of Syria’s pre-war population of 23 million people.
The community has been somewhat divided during the country’s uprising, with some members fighting alongside the government and others expressing sympathy for the opposition.
Mostly, the Druze have taken up arms only in defence of their areas, and have kept out of the fighting more broadly.
Concerns for the minority’s fate have grown this week with the Southern Front’s advance into Sweida and reports that Al Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra Front killed at least 20 Druze civilians in a village in northwestern Idlib province.
The incident in the village of Qalb Al Lawzah was condemned by the Southern Front, who issued a statement on Thursday pledging not to fight against the Druze.