Jisr al-Shughur
On 22 April, rebels (organised by the newly created Battle of Victory operations room) launched an offensive against the de facto provincial capital of Idlib governorate, Jisr al-Shughur, threatening to cut off government access to a major highway linking Idlib to Latakia. Other objectives in this offensive were the Brick Factory base (Al-Qarmeed), near Mastouma, and the Al-Ghaab Plain in Hama governorate, where FSA units were tasked with spearheading the cutting of Syrian Arab Army supply lines from the west. An al-Nusra Front suicide bomber detonated a VBIED near the Brick Factory, marking the beginning of the operation. A BMP packed with explosives was also detonated at a checkpoint in the north of Jisr al-Shughur. At the end of 23 April, despite contradictory statements, Jisr al-Shughur was still under control by government troops. Al-Nusra claimed to had sent 15 suicide bombers into the city as part of the assault. Meanwhile, in the Al-Ghaab Plain, a rebel attack on the village of Sirmaniyah was repelled. A car-bomb was detonated in the Sirmaniyah area as well.