Opposition factions have captured 24 members of the regime’s forces and allied militias since launching the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation against the regime.
The leader of the Military Operations Administration, which is in charge of the “Deterrence of Aggression,” Major Hassan Abdul Ghani, told Enab Baladi that as of Thursday afternoon, November 28, the number of prisoners is 24 members of various ranks, including Iranian elements.
In response to an Enab Baladi question about the fate of the prisoners, Abdul Ghani stated that the treatment of the prisoners will be “according to what Islamic law dictates, under the known conditions.” He added that their directives to the fighters involved in combat regarding dealing with the prisoners “have been and will remain in accordance with our Sharia and what our duty requires.”
In recent years, opposition factions have retained many prisoners from the regime and Iranian militias, which were later released in exchange operations, with the regime releasing detainees from its prisons, whether civilians or military personnel, in return for the release of regime elements by the factions.
Abdul Ghani noted that the Military Operations Administration issued messages calling on regime members to defect in exchange for ensuring their safety.
The Shaheen Brigades, which specialize in managing drone operations during the “Deterrence of Aggression,” dropped leaflets in areas under regime control before their incursion, urging members to defect and providing contact numbers and a QR code to assist the members in defecting.
According to what Enab Baladi observed in videos showing the captured regime members (six prisoners appeared), most of them are from areas that underwent security settlements, such as rural Damascus and Homs.
Military factions launched the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation on Wednesday, November 27, during which they took control of villages and towns in the western countryside of Aleppo and the eastern countryside of Idlib and reached the outskirts of the city of Aleppo, cutting the international road “M5.”
In the latest update, Major Hassan Abdul Ghani from the Military Operations Administration stated that the factions captured 32 villages and towns in the western countryside of Aleppo and the eastern countryside of Idlib, seizing 27 tanks, six BMP armored vehicles, three mortars, five anti-aircraft machine guns of 23 mm caliber, a Kornet anti-tank missile depot, and six military Zil vehicles.
The factions destroyed four rocket launchers, a tank, and a vehicle loaded with personnel, while the Shaheen Brigades destroyed two helicopters at the al-Nairab airport, killing more than 100 members of the regime forces and allied militias.
The Military Operations Administration has closed the areas controlled by the factions until further notice to ensure the removal of mines and military remnants.
In contrast, regime and Russian aircraft carried out airstrikes targeting residential areas in the countrysides of Idlib and Aleppo, along with artillery and missile bombardments, resulting in casualties among civilians, according to the Syria Civil Defence rescue agency, with the latest airstrikes in al-Atarib leading to the death of 11 civilians and injuries to five others.
The Civil Defence urged residents to disperse gatherings and reduce movement.
Additionally, areas in the western countryside of Aleppo and regions in Idlib near the combat front lines experienced displacement toward safer areas within northern Syria.