Syria, Iraq Launch Massive Offensive against ISIL Along Border

RNA - The Arabic-language al-Manar TV network reported that the Damascus Army cleansed the ISIL terrorists from all regions stretching from the surrounding areas of Bukamal city Southeast of Deir Ezzur to al-Sawaneh and al-Basiri region Southwest of the city of Palmyra in Eastern Homs, al-Ma'aizileh, T2 Station, al-Wa'ar Dam and areas near al-Tanf close to borders with Iraq.

Meantime, the Syrian army continued its military advances in other parts of Syria over past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in provinces across Syria.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian and Iraqi armies kicked off large-scale military offensives along the two countries' common borders to get rid of the ISIL remnants.

The Syrian Army cleansed the ISIL terrorists from all regions stretching from the surrounding areas of Bukamal city South-East of Deir Ezzur to al-Sawaneh and al-Basiri region Southwest of the city of Palmyra in Eastern Homs, al-Ma'aizileh, T2 Station, al-Wa'ar Dam and areas near al-Tanf close to borders with Iraq, the Arabic-language al-Manar TV network reported.

It, meantime, said that Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, have conducted mop-up operations in border regions from Bukamal to the surrounding areas of al-Tanf.

Homs

Several thousands of people in the besieged al-Rukban Refugee Camp under the occupation of the US and its allies in al-Tanf region of Homs province have fled for safe regions under the control of the Syrian Army, media sources said.

Nearly 4,000 civilians have escaped from al-Rukban Refugee Camp in Homs province via Jaliqam crossing for areas under the Syrian Army's control, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

Meantime, the Arabic-language SANA news agency reported that hundreds of Syrian families have left al-Rukban Camp for safe regions in Homs province.

Eastern Euphrates

Recent photos of ISIL ringleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released on the Internet shows that he has been living in a safe area for several years as he has gained a lot of weight, the Arabic-language media reported.

The Arabic-language al-Ahd News Website in a report analyzed a recent video footage of al-Baghdadi, and said that his conditions and his clothing and the way he has dressed shows that he is not on the run.

It noted that after heavy and consecutive defeats of the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, releasing the video showed that the second phase of a long-term battle by the ISIL under Washington's leadership has begun.

The al-Ahd further noted that a deeper look at the video footage, specially the movements of al-Baghdadi's hands and head and his way of hiding his looks and the way he avoids looking straight into the camera, all suggest that the ISIL leader is in a confusing and weakened state.

It, meantime, said that the overweight and the color of his skin clearly show that Al-Baghdadi has not been under any US siege in al-Baqouz region of Syria, but has most likely been kept in a place away from sunlight.

Al-Ahd said that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's use of a machine-gun and a box on his side is surely meant to mimic the style of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan's mountains for the people.

It further noted that given the fact that al-Baghdadi is wearing clothes belonging to Western regions of Iraq and Eastern parts of Syria as well as a rug made in Aleppo factory of Syria which was exported to Iraq until 2013, it can be implied that al-Baghdadi has not left the area stretching from Syria's al-Tanf to Mosul of Iraq which is an area protected by the US.

Al-Ahd also pointed to ISIL's access to high-quality video and audio techniques, and said that the video image has been released in line with the US efforts to pretend that the terrorist organization is still threatening Iraq and Syria and the presence of the US-led coalition forces is still needed in these countries.

847/940