The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) unleashed a heavy attack on the militant-held areas of southwest Aleppo Monday, January 14, after the latter fired artillery shells towards provincial capital, Al-Masdar News says.

Using surface-to-surface missiles, the Syrian Arab Army fired a number of these projectiles towards Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham’s positions near the key town of Khan Al-Assad in the southwestern countryside of Aleppo.

The Syrian Arab Army has recently intensified their strikes on the southwestern and western regions of Aleppo after Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham expanded their presence across the province.

In addition to being more aggressive, the Syrian Arab Army has also sent a large number of reinforcements to western Aleppo.

The reason for amassing troops is due to the potential threat of a new Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham offensive on the provincial capital.