[21] By the next day, a joint attack by militants from both ISIL and al-Qaeda-linked Jund al-Aqsa captured the village of Rasm Al-Nafal, as well as two other points along the Khanasir-Aleppo Road,[4] cutting the Syrian government's only supply route to Aleppo city.

[23][24] A convoy of reinforcements from the town of As-Safira, consisting of the pro-government Palestinian militia Liwa Al-Quds was sent to reopen the road[1] and by the end of the day they had recaptured the hill.

Meanwhile, ISIL launched an assault on the town of Khanasir, commanded by Mahmutcan Ateş, which began with a failed suicide car-bomb attack against a checkpoint in its outskirts.

[27] The counterattack was launched from two flanks, with the Tiger Forces and Hezbollah assaulting Rasm Al-Nafal from the north, while the Army and the Liwaa Al-Quds Brigade advanced from the south towards Khanasir.

[29] At this time, the cutting of the road by ISIL caused prices of food and medical supplies in Aleppo city to raise dramatically.

[7] At the same time, government forces advancing from the north seized Shilallah al-Kabeera, which they breached the previous day with the help of Russian airstrikes.

[45] On 14 April, ISIL launched another offensive on Khanasir,[46] and by the following day they captured hills near the town,[47] the Duraham Oil Field[48] and 10 villages.