Syria’s opposition fighters have pulled out from a vital Syrian town of rebel-held Idlib province, a monitoring agency and local activists have reported on Tuesday.
“Khan Shaikhoun has become completely surrounded by government forces and rebel fighters withdrew early on Tuesday,” Suleiman Abdulqader, a local activist in southern Idlib region, told Al Jazeera.
“They moved towards the north and east for now in an attempt to prevent army troops from advancing to new points,” he said.
Rivals have withdrawn from Khan Shaikhoun, one of the largest town of Idlib province, which comes a few days after fierce combat between armed forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and armed rebel fighters.
On Monday, Russian military-backed government forces summoned in the town as fighting continued in, as well, around the region for the third consecutive day.
The rebel had claimed the town in 2014. The allies have launched an offensive in order to reclaim Idlib province and surrounding rebel-held areas with armed forces in late April.