Rebel forces storm key town in northern Hama

On Tuesday morning, the extremist rebels from Ajnad Al-Sham and Jund Al-Aqsa (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) launched another powerful assault in the northern Hama countryside, targeting the key town of Ma’an along the Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway).
The extremist rebels began their assault by targeting the checkpoints and hilltops surrounding Ma’an; however, they were unable to penetrate the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses after nearly 3 hours of battle and heavy casualties for both sides.
According to a military source from the Syrian Arab Army’s 47th Brigade of the 11th Tank Division, the extremist rebel factions were forced to withdraw from the Ma’an perimeter after suffering a large number of casualties and severe damage to their vehicle arsenal.
The source added that the Syrian Armed Forces are in full control of Ma’an and its surrounding hills – the extremist rebels were unable to make any significant gains, despite the intensity of this assault.

from
via Defense