BEIRUT // Syrian troops retreated as regime warplanes bombarded Al Qaeda-led rebel fighters on Friday, a day after the insurgents overran the last government-held city in the key northwestern province of Idlib.
Opposition forces now control the vast majority of Idlib after Al Nusra Front and its allies in the Army of Conquest overran Ariha and surrounding villages on Thursday.
It was the latest blow to loyalist forces who have been battling myriad rebel groups for four years, after the fall of the ancient city of Palmyra to ISIL last week.
“The lightning offensive ended with a heavy pullout of regime forces and their allies Hizbollah from the western side of the city,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.“We can’t even say there were real clashes with the government in Ariha.”
The Army of Conquest — Jaish Al Fatah in Arabic — also seized villages around Ariha as regime warplanes bombarded the city.
Mr Abdel Rahman said 13 regime loyalists had been executed by rebels inside Ariha, and another 18 were killed in fighting on its outskirts.
The rebel alliance has won a string of victories in Idlib, including the provincial capital, the key town of Jisr Al Shughur, and a massive military base.
Government forces had pulled back to Ariha, which Mr Abdel Rahman said was heavily defended by fighters from Iran and Hizbollah.
But the city fell to the Al Nusra-led alliance “in a few hours,” he said.
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad’s regime still holds the Abu Duhur military airport and a sprinkling of villages and military posts in Idlib, but a Syrian security source said that the province was no longer a priority for loyalist forces.
“The territories that are vital to protect for the regime are Damascus, Homs, Hama, and the coast,” he said.
Idlib province borders Turkey to the north, coastal regime bastions to the west, and the flashpoint province of Aleppo to the east.
Mr Abdel Rahman said the regime was suffering from a serious lack of fighting forces.
“Even with the support of Iran and Hizbollah, it cannot make up the soldiers... If this continues, the regime might lose Aleppo,” he added.
* Agence France-Presse
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Age: 35
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Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
