The Damascus Army prepared for an upcoming military operation in Eastern Lattakia as violence by Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) has heightened in the region. RNA - "The Syrian Army units stationed in the heights of Eastern Lattakia were waiting for a final order to kick off the assault on the Islamic Turkistani Party terrorist group in the Western battlefronts of Idlib," the Arabic-language service of the Russian Sputnik news agency quoted a Syrian Army commander as saying.
Meantime, the Syrian army continued its military advances in other parts of Syria over the past 24 hours.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in provinces across Syria.
Lattakia
The Syrian Army troops have prepared for an upcoming military operation in Eastern Lattakia as violence by Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay'at has heightened in the region, media sources said.
"The Syrian Army units stationed in the heights of Eastern Lattakia are waiting for a final order to kick off the assault on the Islamic Turkistani Party terrorist group in the Western battlefronts of Idlib," the Arabic-language service of the Russian Sputnik news agency quoted a Syrian Army commander as saying.
The source pointed to the dispatch of massive military equipment to Eastern Lattakia and reinforcing the Syrian Army's military positions there which is one of the most important battlefronts of Idlib, and said, "The Syrian Army troops are at the highest level of their military preparedness to conduct the operations."
The Lattakia battlefront is stretched in parallel to the fronts in Hama and Idlib from Sahl al-Ghab to the town of Kabani which is the main gate to the positions of Tahrir al-Sham in Badama and Najieh town as well as Jisr al-Shoghour as main center of Turkistani and Central Asian militants.
Other Syrian Army artillery and missile units pounded Tahrir al-Sham's military positions in the outskirts of town of Talmans, killing a large number of militants and destroying their military equipment.
The Syrian Army attacks came in response to Tahrir al-Sham's attacks on the government forces' positions in Southern Idlib.
In Northern Hama, Syrian Army's artillery units targeted and destroyed the terrorists' military positions in Tal-e al-Sayyad, destroying several of their hideouts and military positions.
Raqqa
Tens of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces defected the SDF ranks and joined the Syrian Army while 100 others have received government amnesty in the last two days.
"Over 40 SDF forces have defected in Raqqa and joined the Syrian Army after laying down their arms in al-Tabaqa in Western Raqqa," the Arabic-language service of the Russian Sputnik News Agency reported.
According to Fars News Agancy, it noted that over 100 youth in Raqqa have also received amnesty after leaving the SDF-controlled areas for government-held territories.
In a relevant development on Friday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prevented civilians from leaving the US-held regions for areas under the control of the Syrian army.
The SDF's move came after thousands of Syrian citizens fled the US-controlled areas for the regions under the control of the US-backed forces, media activists announced.
They said that the SDF forces have fully closed the passageways of al-Salehieh in Eastern Deir Ezzur and al-Tabaqa in Western Raqqa to the civilians.
The media activists reiterated that the SDF's move came after a large number of civilians and the defected members of SDF started moving towards areas controlled by the Syrian Army.
They said that over 2,000 civilians have been transferred to army-controlled regions from Eastern Syria while hundreds of defected SDF members have also asked for government amnesty.
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