Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Continues Operations to Recapture Key Towns in Damascus Countryside

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its military operations against the terrorists in Damascus province to win back strategic towns.

News ID: 426149

Date: 30 December 2016 - 18:29

RNA - The Syrian army won back several farms and districts of Hazarma and Otaya towns in Eastern Damascus province.

The Syrian army also conducted major military operations in different parts of the country over last 24 hours.

Damascus

The Syrian army and its allies continued operations East of Damascus province to take control of the two strategic towns of Hazarma and Otaya.

The Syrian troops seize control of a large number of farms in Hazarma after heavy clashes with the terrorist groups as the air force also pounded the militants' positions in Douma, killing and wounding dozens of them.

Also, intensive clashes erupted between the Syrian army units and Jeish al-Islam terrorists in Meida'ani, as army reports said they targeted the militants' positions in the region with heavy missile fire.

The army troops blocked terrorists' move after a heavy battle in Eastern Ghouta.

The army soldiers warded off terrorists' offensive on their positions in Wadi (desert) Ein Terma, killing over five militants and wounding several others.

In the meantime, the Syrian warplanes bombed terrorists' centers in the town of al-Shifouniyeh and surrounding areas of the town of al-Hamouriyeh.

Also, fierce clashes restarted between the army soldiers and militants in Meida'ani, al-Mohammadiyeh and Damascus-Homs highway.

Also, the army men stormed terrorists' concentration centers and gatherings in the triangle of al-Bahariyeh-Meida'ani-Hazarma on Sunday and captured over 25 farms and buildings.

The terrorist groups, that had lost their positions in the army attacks, carried out a rapid counterattack but failed to take back the lost land and retreated from the battlefield after leaving behind over 15 fighters dead and several more wounded.

Meantime, terrorists eventually agreed to Syrian army's conditions for surrendering or leaving Ein al-Fijah region in Wadi al-Bardi of Western Ghouta after they came under increasing pressure by local residents.

The governor-general of Damascus said if the terrorists remain committed to their undertakings, an agreement will be signed with them within the next two days and "the operations to repair the water facilities will start right away".

Field sources said that the terrorists in other regions of Wadi al-Bardi have not yet asked for government amnesty as they are entangled in intense differences on joining or refusing the reconciliation plan.

Homs

The second convoy of Tiger Forces arrived at the T4 airbase in Homs on Thursday after the deployment of a large number of the Syrian army and Hezbollah troops in the province, a field source said.

The source said that a unit of Tiger Forces had earlier been sent from Aleppo to Homs, and added that the Desert Hawks are also likely to be dispatched to the region.

Noting that another group of Tiger Forces will be dispatched to Homs in the next few days, he said that several units of Tiger Forces have been assigned to the mission to protect the T4 airbase against the ISIL's massive attacks.

A large number of Army soldiers and popular forces are waiting for a Centcom order to start a massive offensive to push back the ISIL terrorist group from the recently occupied lands in the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and energy-rich regions in Eastern Homs.

After the arrival of fresh pro-government forces in Eastern Homs and improved weather conditions that made it possible for the Russian and Syrian warplanes to resume their flights in the region, the Damascus troops repelled ISIL's repeated attacks on T4 airbase and also took back a number of key positions near Palmyra and T4 base.

The pro-government forces are now waiting for a Centcom order to initiate a large-scale offensive on ISIL in Eastern Homs.

In the meantime, hundreds more of fresh forces are due to arrive in Homs in coming days.

Dara'a

The Syrian army forces targeted a meeting of terrorist commanders in Tafas town in Dara'a, inflicting several casualties on the militants.

The Syrian army and its allies also blew up a bomb-laden drone flying over the post building in Dara'a al-Balad.

They also smashed a vehicle belonging to the terrorist groups in the Southern parts of Iron Factory in Dara'a al-Balad, killing all the militants inside.

Meantime, members of a terrorist group in the Northwestern parts of Western al-Qariya bridge were targeted and sustained dozens of casualties.

Also, the Syrian fighter jets launched airstrikes on the terrorists' gathering centers and moves in Basar al-Harir, al-Soura and al-Harak in Eastern Dara'a as well as Manateq al-Lajah in Northeastern Dara'a and Nova town, which inflicted loss and damage on the militants.

Idlib

The Syrian army and its allies are hunting commanders and ringleaders of the terrorist groups in Idlib as a new tactic in the war on terrorism, Russian media reported.

Russian daily, Izvestia, said in a report that the government forces have started operations to target the terrorists' field commanders in Idlib, adding that they have already hunted three such commanders after being tipped off by security forces and Iranian advisors.

Experts believe that the new tactic will pave the ground for the Syrian forces to avoid massive military operations in Idlib.

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