On 19 August, Republican Guard reinforcements from Damascus arrived in Aleppo for a new assault against the Aleppo Artillery Academy,[18] which began later that day. Meanwhile, government forces, supported by the IRGC and Shia militas, also launched another attack to capture Al-Qarassi, which was considered as the gateway to the strategically significant town of Khan Tuman.[19] In the following night, government forces seized Tal Al-Aqra[20] and thereby cut the Aleppo Artillery Academy's rebel defenders off from their main force.