Victory in Homs: The Key to Aleppo

Ziad Fadel

The Omayad Mosque courtyard, with Şadirvans in...

The Omayad Mosque in Aleppo, Syria. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Syrian Opposition is attempting to downplay their subsequent defeat and diaspora from the Old City of Homs as a “strategic” decision to bring aid into the embattled area. Well, I am sorry to burst their bubble, but the magnitude of this defeat is in its early stages; it will likely create a substantial shockwave over the coming months. Why is that? Homs isthe largest province in Syria in terms of square kilometers; the centralized location of the province makes it ideal for launching offensives into neighboring provinces. The conglomerate of militias that make up the Syrian Opposition’s fighting force were unable to capitalize on their early successes and instead, created an opportunity for the SAA to impose its will in central Syria.

Homs’ location is integral when it comes to strategizing the Syrian Arab Army‘s Northern Front. The SAA in Aleppo and Idlib rely on the supplies from Homs and Tartous in order to maintain their positions. One could even state that the success of “Operation Northern Storm” was due in large part to the SAA’s emancipating vital terrorist strongholds in Homs. Now, the SAA is on the verge of liberating the small pockets of control the terrorists have in Homs and in doing so, allowing the SAA Central Command to concentrate tens of thousands of troops to the dire situation in Idlib and to the offensive in Aleppo.

Sadly, I am afraid there is no good news for the terrorists in Homs and Damascus because there are a total of 70,000 SAA infantrymen in these provinces. The battle for Damascus and Homs are almost complete; this allows the redeployment of the 2nd and 3rd Syrian Arab Army Corps’ to the northern and southern fronts. Without these troops, the battle for Aleppo would be prolonged and the SAA would not be able to maintain areas recently liberated. However, the key to victory is the availability and delivery of resources; this is why Homs is important. Aid from Latakia travels to Damascus and pharmaceutical drugs from Damascus travel through Homs to the civilians in the north. If you are not comprehending what I am stating, let me simply it for you: Homs is the bone that connects the lower and upper body – yes, that vital.