Syrian army troops have launched a massive attack on anti-government militants south of the city of Aleppo. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says army troops used heavy weaponry in their offensive on the town of Tela’at al-Eis. Syrian forces have made some progress in the town which has fallen to militants recently. The observatory has quoted army officials as saying that the raid was in response to truce violations of the militants. South of Aleppo province is a stronghold of the al-Nusra Front terrorist group to which current cessation of hostilities does not apply. On Tuesday, the terrorists shot down a Syrian warplane in the region and captured its pilot.