Syrian troops advance toward besieged base

DAMASCUS, Syria — Government forces advanced Monday under the cover of Russian airstrikes toward an air base besieged by Islamic State in northern Syria, a Syrian military official and activists said, while a rebel military commander was killed in another battle in a nearby area.

The offensive in the northern province of Aleppo aims to lift the siege that ISIS has been imposing on the Kweiras military base since 2014. Jihadis have launched several attacks over the past weeks in an attempt to capture the base but were not able to.

The army captured the village of Bkayze, about four miles from the base, the military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Troops also captured two other villages near the base, Aleppobased activist Maamoun al-Khatib said.

“It will be a moral victory for the regime if they are able to lift the siege imposed on Kweiras,” said Syrian activist Ahmad al-Ahmad, who is in Turkey.

In another battle in Aleppo province, Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen killed the military commander of one of the most powerful rebel factions in northern Syria, according to the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that monitors the Syrian war through a network on the ground.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV identified the dead commander as Ismail Nassif, with the Noureddine Zengi rebel group. The Observatory and Al-Manar gave no further details.