The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a big counter-offensive in the northwestern countryside of the Hama Governorate on Sunday, June 9 targeting the areas they lost to the jihadist rebels earlier in the week.

Backed by heavy airstrikes from their Russian partners, the Syrian Arab Army began their offensive by storming the jihadist defenses at the western axis of Tal Malah.

Following a series of intense clashes on Sunday morning, the Syrian Arab Army was forced to withdraw from the western axis of Tal Malah after sustaining a number of casualties.

Once the Syrian Arab Army withdrew from western Tal Malah, the Syrian and Russian air forces unleashed a massive assault on the large hilltop in a bid to weaken the jihadist resolve.

The Syrian and Russian air forces launched well over 20 airstrikes on Tal Malah, killing and wounding many jihadist rebels from Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham.

Since then, the jihadist rebels have begun their own counter-offensive in northwestern Hama to capture the towns to the west of Tal Malah in northwestern Hama.