▁ ▁O ng o ing ▁Sy rian ▁Civil ▁War ▁The ▁town ▁remained ▁under ▁reb els ′ ▁control ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁Al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Second ▁Battle ▁of ▁Al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Sy rian ▁troops ▁advance ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁She ikh ▁M esk in ▁and ▁se izing ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁it . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁Free ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁launched ▁a ▁large - scale ▁counter - ass ault ▁inside ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁to ▁exit ▁the ▁west ▁district . ▁However , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁struck ▁the ▁F SA ▁which ▁forced ▁it ▁to ▁retre at ▁towards ▁the ▁east ▁district . ▁Rec ently , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁has ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁city ▁after ▁they ▁conced ed ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁Free ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁last ▁year . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁a ▁week , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁has ▁recovered ▁several ▁sites ▁around ▁the ▁city , ▁including ▁the ▁Water ▁P ump ▁Factory , ▁Battalion ▁ 8 2 ▁Engineering ▁Base , ▁and ▁Al - D illi . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 6 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁cl ash es ▁were ▁taking ▁place ▁between ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁the ▁reb els ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁where