(Recast) Battles rage in Syria tug-of-war to grab key areas

Battles have raged Thursday between an array of jihadist groups and the Syrian government forces and allied forces in central and northern Syria, a monitoring group reported.

The intense battles continued between the Ahrar al-Sham militant group backed by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the government forces and allied fighters near military check points in the Sahl al-Ghab area in the countryside of the central province of Hama, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said the Ahrar al-Sham group and six likeminded groups announced the commencement of their battle to capture Sahl al-Ghab area.

The Syrian air force carried out airstrikes against the rebel positions in towns in the northwestern countryside of Hama and the eastern part of the key province, it said.

In the northwestern province of Idlib, the Islamist groups unleashed an attack against government-controlled areas in the countryside of Idlib, capturing five Syrian military checkpoints in the vicinity of the Qarmid military base and the northern entrance of the Jisr al-Shughur area, one of the few towns the Syrian troops are still in control of after the entire city of Idlib fell to the Nusra Front late last month.

The jihadist groups also shelled the government-controlled towns of Fawa and Kafraya, which are inhabited by people of the Shiite minority in the northern countryside of Idlib, the Observatory said, adding that the Syrian air force struck the militants' positions in the vicinity of the Mastomeh base in the town under the same name.

The Nusra and likeminded groups in Idlib apparently opted to attack the remaining government positions in the countryside of that key province near the Turkish borders, at a time local media was talking about an imminent military operation for the recapture of Idlib. Endit