Kuweires offensive (September–November 2015)

On 14 September 2015, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – in cooperation with the National Defence Forces (NDF) and the Al-Ba’ath Battalion – launched a fresh offensive inside the Aleppo Governorate’s southeastern countryside in order to lift the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s (ISIS) two-year-long siege of the isolated Kuweires Military Airbase. This offensive was later complemented by another effort starting mid-October further south, which would be aimed at cementing government control over the main logistical route to Aleppo from central Syria.

The main objective of the offensive was to lift the siege on the Kuweires Military Airport, and relieve the hundreds of soldiers locked into the Kuweires pocket for almost three years, as well as to give significant depth to the main line of communication to the Syrian and allied forces in the province from the south. Also there is a possible long term goal of cutting the Aleppo-Raqqah highway and thereby bisecting ISIL in Syria.

Preparations
The origins of the planning of operations in the Aleppo area could be traced back to Gen. Qasem Soleimani's visit to Moscow in July 2015. Gen. Soleimani was reportedly sent to Syria by the supreme leader of Iran himself, Ali Khamenei, in order to discuss military matters with his Russian couterparts and coordinate a joint escalation of forces in Syria.

Military advisers, including high ranking generals from Iran's Quds force began deploying to Latakia and soon moving to the points of engagement throughout the country in order to plan the coming ground offensives which would be augmented by Russian air-power. With so many Iranian generals patrolling and reconnoitring the front-lines of the Syrian civil war, three of the aforementioned were soon killed in action including a very senior Guards member, Gen. Hossein Hamadani, who was deputy to Qasem Soleimani.

The offensive
Beginning on 15 September, the government forces launched attacks along the north-western rim of the al-Jaboul Lake in an attempt to drive the ISIL militants back towards the besieged air-base of Kuweires in eastern Aleppo. The National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Al-Ba’ath Battalion also partook in this effort to gain ground against ISIL. The offensive began with much promise as within two hours of launching their assault, the Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces took control of the two hilltops at Tal Na’am and Tal Sab’in, which are located just north of Jabboul Lake.

However, ISIL was able to regroup not long after and launch a counter-attack in which they gained some of their lost territory and checked the rapid advance of the government forces. On 22 September, the intervention of the Syrian Arab Airforce enabled the ground forces to regain the initiative and continue their advance by capturing al-Salihiya after sharp engagements with ISIL militants around the town and later gain Tal-Rayman in the drive east towards Kuweires.

On 4 October, the Russian Air Force attacked ISIS along the Dayr Hafir Highway, and the Thermal Plant. This allowed the government forces to enter the village of 'Ayn Sabil. A Syrian Army source claimed that 75 militants in the Aleppo governorate were killed in Russian airstrikes in the past two days.

On 16 October, government forces and Iraqi militia, reportedly captured the town of Al-Nasiriyah, following fighting that they claimed killed 25 ISIS fighters. They than advanced to the town of Barayjeh, some 7 km from Kuweires.

On 17 October, the military reportedly captured the village of Huwaija. By the next day, government forces took more areas, bringing the total of captured villages since the start of the offensive to five.

On 19 October, government forces captured the village of Bkayze, about seven kilometres from the air base, as well as two other villages near the base. They also captured parts of al-Dekwani. The following day, the military seized parts of the Tal Sbi’ein area.

On 21 October, government forces took control of the Tal Sbi’ein area, including its hill, and two days later al-Dekwani as well, bringing them to within four kilometers of the air base.

On 9 November, government forces captured the town of Sheikh Ahmad, two kilometers from the air base, setting the conditions for a final assault towards the airport.

On 10 November, government forces lifted the siege of the Kuweires air base after three years. Subsequently, the Army captured the villages of Rasm ‘Abboud and ‘Umm Arkileh near the airport, as a mass ISIL retreat was reported by al-Masdar News from areas east of Aleppo. On the next day, the military, in coordination with its allies, captured the villages Jdaydet Arbin and Arbid in the vicinity of the Kuweires airbase.

In the last 24 hours of the fighting around the military airport, 60 ISIL militants, more than 20 Syrian soldiers, 13 Iranian and 8 Hezbollah fighters were all killed.

Final Operations
On 14 November, government forces and allies captured the town of Rasm al-Aboud and the ICARDA Farms near the Kuweires airbase and killed over 20 ISIS combatants and destroying 4 armored vehicles with 23mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

On 16 November, government forces captured the village of Karkiz and advanced to the village Aqulat Aqulah.

On 17 November, government forces entered the village of Humaymah Al-Kabeera in east Aleppo near ISIS stronghold the town of Deir Hafer. On the next day, government forces captured the village of Al-Jamayliyah near the Kuweires Military Airport. Later, government forces and their allies imposed full control over the villages of ‘Umm Zilaylah, Tal Ayyoub, and ‘Umm Al-Marra and the strategic hilltop of Tal Humaymah.

On 19 November, government forces captured the Sheikh Ahmad Train Station and the Sheikh Ahmad Production Facility to the south of recently-captured village of Karkiz. Additionally, they captured three villages: ‘Umm Zilaylah, Tal Ayyoub, and ‘Umm Al-Marra, and the strategic hilltop of Tal Humaymah, paving the way for their entry into the village of Humaymah Al-Kabeera and positioning themselves only 8 km away from ISIL long-time stronghold of Deir Hafer.

On 27 November, the Army captured the villages of Kaskis and Akula, east of the Kuweires air base.