RNA - The army units drove back the ISIL terrorists from several regions in Southeastern and Eastern Aleppo, and took control of over 500 square kilometers.
The Syrian troops killed several terrorists and injured many more in fierce clashes over controlling of strategic regions. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.
The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.
Aleppo
Commander of the Russian military forces in Syria Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin said that the Syrian Army troops have so far liberated 83 settlements in the Eastern and Southeastern parts of the Aleppo province, killing over 3,000 ISIL terrorists.
"A total number of 83 settlements and over 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) were liberated by the army men from the terrorists. Over 3,000 ISIL terrorists, including several dozen of notorious commanders, were killed and over 20 tanks, 7 infantry fighting vehicles and 9 large caliber artillery pieces were destroyed in the operation," Surovikin pointed out.
While the city of Aleppo was liberated late 2016, the Syrian army's fight against terrorist groups has continued in the province, as the pro-government forces managed to recapture ISIL's major stronghold in the Eastern part of the province, Maskana, last week and are now advancing toward Raqqa.
Raqqa
Field sources in Northeastern Syria confirmed that the Syrian Army troops have pushed ISIL terrorists back from an area as large as 500sq/km in Western Raqqa in the last 24 hours.
The sources said that the army men continued to hit ISIL's defense lines in Western Raqqa and recapture 500sq/km of land after hours of non-stop clashes in the last day.
The sources further said that with the recent advances, the army units will soon reach the regions near al-Tabaqa city that are under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Meantime, field sources in Northeastern Syria reported that the country's Army troops and popular forces are ready to continue their operation against ISIL in Western Raqqa to restore sustainable security to Aleppo province.
The sources said that the army soldiers are getting ready to continue their advances towards the Southern direction of the newly-freed positions in Western Raqqa to reach the border triangle of Raqqa-Aleppo-Hama and access Kharba al-Baydh region and Raqqa-al-Salamiyah highway.
The sources underscored that the army's operation is aimed at expanding the area of advances and laying siege on ISIL in other terrorist-held regions in Southeastern Aleppo.
"The ISIL terrorists are now faced with only the two options of retreat from areas near Southeastern Aleppo or stay and die," they said.
If the army manages to take control over regions from the Southern direction of their positions in Raqqa countryside to Khirbet al-Baydh up to Sabkha al-Joboul, they will manage to drive ISIL out of 2,500sq/km of land and end ISIL's presence in Aleppo province.
Deir Ezzur
The Syrian and Russian fighter jets targeted a long convoy of ISIL's vehicles that had left Raqqa province for Deir Ezzur province in Eastern Syria, and destroyed tens of the vehicles.
The aircraft pounded ISIL's long convoy that had left Raqqa for al-Baqaleh region along the road that connects the town of al-Sukhnah to Deir Ezzur city, destroying tens of military vehicles, including a number of bomb-laden vehicles.
A number of ISIL terrorists were also killed or wounded in the air raid.
Damascus
The Syrian Army troops continued to hit terrorists' centers hard in Eastern Ghouta and managed to take control over a vast region with several strategic hills and positions, enhancing the capital city's security.
The army units engaged in fierce clashes with terrorists and drove them out of vast regions between Tishrin thermal power plant up to the key hill of al-Dakou in Eastern Damascus with 550sq/km of area, reopening the road to the power plant.
A military source underlined the strategic importance of Tal al-Dekou, saying that the newly-captured hill links the Northern part of the Eastern Badiyeh (desert) to its Southern part and overlooks a vast region.
The sources further said that the newly-liberated region included previously a number of the Syrian Army's training garrisons that were under ISIL's control till last year and after the withdrawal of ISIL from the garrisons they came under the control of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), so the capture of the region is of significant importance.
The army forces launched their operation from the two directions of Khan Abu al-Shamat and East of Tishrin power plant towards the freed region.
At the beginning of the operation the army soldiers seized control over Tal (hill) al-Abd that is one of the most important heights in the region and then advanced towards the Northern and Western flanks and managed to capture several hills in areas surrounding Tal al-Dekou and the al-Dekou hill itself.
Capturing an area covering 500 sq.km, the army men managed to drive the terrorists out of Eastern Damascus and the Tishrin power plant, cutting off terrorists' supply line from North and Northeast to South.
Dara'a
The Syrian Army troops have started a large-scale operation against terrorists in the Southern city of Dara'a after dispatching a large volume of military equipment and forces to the city in the last days, military sources said.
The sources reported that the army's missile and artillery units and Air Force have started targeting terrorists' defense lines in Dara'a al-Balad district in Dara'a.
The army has been mobilizing forces to initiate a full-scale military operation against militant groups in Dara'a in a bid to secure the government-controlled parts of the provincial capital.
Another military source said that ground attacks on terrorists' positions will be launched parallel to the air and artillery attacks, adding that after arrival of more convoys of forces and equipment and final preparations, the army troops will kick off the operation against terrorists in Dara'a.
Sweida
The Syrian Army troops engaged in heavy fighting with terrorists in Northeastern Sweida and repelled their offensive, inflicting heavy casualties on them.
The army units clashed fiercely with terrorists in the regions of al-Qal'ah, al-Zalaf dam and a checkpoint known as the France checkpoint near Badiyeh (desert) and managed to fend off their attack, killing and wounding a large number of them and destroying their weapons and military equipment.
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