ad ▁confirmed ▁the ▁reports ▁of ▁the ▁F SA ' s ▁recent ▁adv ances ▁and ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁reb els ▁captured ▁the ▁Sal ah ed d ine ▁district . ▁The ▁sp okes man ▁of ▁the ▁Li wa a ▁al ▁Sh ab h ah ▁brig ade ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁F SA ▁had ▁limited ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁army ▁to ▁five ▁districts . ▁It ▁was ▁unclear ▁whether ▁the ▁reb els ▁had ▁the ▁strength ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁new ▁areas ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁indic ations ▁that ▁the ▁reb els ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁out ▁of ▁some ▁areas ▁by ▁late ▁afternoon , ▁with ▁one ▁resident ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁forces ▁were ▁fighting ▁fier c ely . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁October , ▁one ▁F SA ▁f ighter ▁told ▁the ▁Guardian ▁that ▁their ▁main ▁focus ▁was ▁on ▁security ▁branches ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁army ▁used ▁as ▁bases . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁reb els ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁bes ie ging ▁the ▁Mid an ▁security ▁branch ▁and ▁stopped ▁Army ▁rein for c ements ▁from ▁getting ▁to ▁the ▁police ▁school ▁in ▁Khan ▁al - Ass al ▁district ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁under ▁F SA ▁sie ge ▁for ▁ 1 0 ▁days . ▁The ▁f ighter ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Ash raf i ya ▁take - over ▁by ▁the ▁reb els ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁PK K . ▁ ▁S AN A ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Army ▁had ▁re capt ured ▁the ▁Sy rian - F rench ▁Hospital . ▁Some ▁reb els ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁increased ▁talk ▁of ▁a ▁tr uce ▁from ▁the