RNA - The terrorists in Deir Ezzur province sustained heavy losses in tough battle with the Syrian army.
The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.
Deir Ezzur
The Syrian army forces continued military operations and advances in ISIL-held areas in Deir Ezzur province after liberating the strategic city of Albu Kamal at border with Iraq, regaining control of a military airport.
The army soldiers won back control of al-Hamdan airbase near the village of al-Sukriyeh in the Northwestern parts of Albu Kamal during the operations in Southeastern Deir Ezzur on Thursday.
The Syrian army soldiers regained control of an oilfield in Eastern Deir Ezzur after liberating the strategic city of Albu Kamal at border with Iraq.
The army forces attacked ISIL positions in Akash oilfield in the Southern parts of Albu Kamal on Thursday, retaking control of the region only after a few hours of fighting.
In a relevant development, the Syrian army troops stormed ISIL's positions in the outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, laying siege on the terrorists in their large stronghold North of city.
The army men clashed fiercely with ISIL in Huwieja Kateh region, hitting their strongholds hard from the Eastern and Southern directions.
In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units shelled heavily ISIL's positions in the region.
A military source said that 20 terrorists were killed in the army operation and the remaining pockets of the ISIL were trapped in the circle of government forces in Huweija Kateh.
The source further said that a large number of ISIL terrorists had fled Deir Ezzur to Huweija Kateh.
Also a military source reported that the Syrian army's elite forces kicked off an operation to free the ISIL-held town of Albu Kamal in Southeastern Deir Ezzur at the border with Iraq from the South of the town of al-Mayadeen.
The source said that the task forces deployed in the Sothern direction of al-Mayadeen started the Albu Kamal liberation operation.
The source further said that the elite forces engaged in a tough battle with ISIL South of the small town of Mahkan and managed to enter al-Qouriyeh, another small town.
In the meantime, the Russian and Syrian fighter jets pounded ISIL's strongholds in the region.
The army, operating in South of al-Mayadeen, is 70 km away from Albu Kamal.
Hama
The Syrian army launched counterattacks against the terrorists' positions in Northeastern Hama, and regained control of the villages of Balil, Abu al-Tolou and Um Khazim.
The artillery units of the army also targeted the areas of clashes on Thursday, killing and wounding tens of terrorists and forcing others to leave the region.
The Syrian army troops had a few days ago retreated from their positions in the villages of Balil, Abu al-Tolou, Um Tarikiyeh and Um Khazim after they came under attack by the al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Northern Hama.
The al-Nusra terrorists had used chemical weapons to stop the army's further advances in Northeastern Hama and push them back.
A military source said that a large number of reinforcements were sent to the region several hours after the villages were occupied by al-Nusra and operations started to retake these areas.
Aleppo
Websites affiliated to the terrorist groups said clashes have intensified between Nouralddeen al-Zinki members and other terrorists of Al-Nusra Front in Western Aleppo.
Websites affiliated to the terrorists reported on Thursday that Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists gained control of the village of Basartoun and Tahrir al-Sham's checkpoint in Taqad-Abazmo road in an infighting with other members of Tahrir al-Sham militants.
Also, other reports said that during the clashes, Tahrir al-Sham terrorists won control of the village of Deir Hessan in Western Aleppo, expelling Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists and commanders' family members from the region.
A fresh wave of tensions and infighting erupted among the terrorist groups in Northern Aleppo following the Syrian Army troops' rapid advances in the Southeastern part of the province on Wednesday.
The sources said that the Al-Nusra Front and Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorist groups have engaged in fierce clashes in Northern Aleppo, adding that the clashes broke out after the Al-Nusra stormed the command posts of Nouralddeen al-Zinki in the town of Bayanoun in Northern Aleppo and arrested a number of Al-Nusra fighters that had defected the group and joined to al-Zinki movement.
In the meantime, the towns and settlements of Dar al-Izzah, Oweijal, Haraytan and other Western and Northern regions in Aleppo province have faced the same tensions, causing both warring sides to put their forces on alert.
The sources further said that the gunmen of Nouralddeen al-Zinki have called for the release of their arrested members and threatened to hit the Al-Nusra positions if the latter refuses to free its members.
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