Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Several Notorious Fatah Al-Sham Commanders Killed in Idlib

Rasa - At least 25 Fatah al-Sham Front (formerly known as al-Nusra Front) militants, including several notorious field commanders, were killed in an airstrike in Northwestern Idlib.

News ID: 426290

Date: 05 January 2017 - 21:06

RNA - At least 25 Fatah al-Sham Front (formerly known as al-Nusra Front) militants, including several notorious field commanders, were killed in an airstrike in Northwestern Idlib.

Aleppo

Syrian Army dispatched hundreds of fresh forces to areas South of Aleppo city to take part in an imminent operation against terrorist groups if they refuse again to leave their positions.

The General Command of the Syrian Army had warned Jeish al-Fatah coalition of terrorist groups deployed in the districts of al-Rashedeen 4 and 5 to hand over these two districts to the army soldiers.

It is widely believed that the army soldiers, the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iraqi al-Nujaba combatants are readying to kick off a large-scale operation to capture al-Rashedeen 4 and 5 and then start another operation to seize the key town of Khan Touman.

Damascus

Syrian Army troops continued to advance against Fatah al-Sham Front in Western Ghouta, capturing more positions in Wadi al-Bardi region.

The army men hit Fatah al-Sham's defense lines in the villages of Basimeh and Ein al-Fijeh, driving out militants of al-Tout farms, al-Tout square and the entire residential complexes in the village of Basimeh.

The army is trying hard to purge terrorists from Wadi al-Bardi region and reopen flow of drinking water to Damascus.

Reports also said on Wednesday that the army troops allowed tens of militants to leave their positions in six towns and villages in Western Ghouta to be relocated to militant-held regions in Idlib province.

The sources said that after arrival of a number of green buses to Sa'asa'a region, at least 135 militants, who had not applied for government amnesty, along with their families were evacuated from the towns and villages of Sa'asa'a, al-Khazrajiyeh, Hasnou, Beir Timah, Kafr Hours and Beit Seber.

In the meantime, the government officials have given three days to militants in the towns of Yalda, Bebayla and Beit Saham in Southern Damascus to join the peace agreement.

Also, Damascus officials are carrying out final negotiations with the representative of militant groups in Beit Jin, Kanakar and al-Zakiyeh to take control of these towns without engagement in clashes.

Also reports said in the past 24 hours that militants in Western Ghouta are about to hand over three villages to Syrian Army troops to be then relocated to militant-held regions in Idlib province, a military source said.

"Militants in the villages of Beir Timah, Beit Saber and Kafr Hour have agreed to hand over their villages to the government forces," the source said, and added, "In return, the Damascus government is to provide a safe passage for the militants and their families to move to Idlib province."

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army sent more soldiers and military hardware to Wadi al-Bardi region in Western Ghouta to reinvigorate its front for the final phase of a large-scale operation against Fatah al-Sham Front.

The army forwarded more troops and military equipment to Wadi al-Bardi region to kick off the final phase of a massive operation to liberate the region from Fatah al-Sham if the terrorists refuse to surrender.

According to reports, fierce clashes are underway between the army and Fatah al-Sham fighters in Wadi al-Bardi region, while other units of the army and the country's air force are pounding terrorists' movements and gatherings in the villages of Basimeh, Ein al-Khazreh and Ein al-Fijeh and their surroundings.

Fatah al-Sham Commander in Wadi al-Bardi Abu Hashim al-Tali confirmed in his tweeter account that Fatah al-Sham is still in the region, calling on them to resist, while other terrorist groups in a statement denied presence of Fatah al-Sham militants in Wadi al-Bardi.

Senior commander of Jeish al-Islam terrorist group Ali Abdul Baqi also said that his forces will be dispatched to Wadi al-Bardi to back militants in this region.

Homs

Military sources said ISIL has started retreating from large swathes of land in Eastern Homs after its militants came under massive artillery and missile fire and sustained heavy casualties.

The sources said that the army's artillery and missile attacks inflicted a large number of casualties on ISIL in T4 airbase and its nearby region, causing the militant group to withdraw its forces from the battlefield to evade more casualties.

The sources further added that the army soldiers continued heavy artillery attacks on ISIL's retreating forces as they were withdrawing to regions deep in Eastern Homs and inflicted a growing number of casualties on the terrorists, forcing the militants to move further back to regions West of Palmyra (Tadmur).

Russian and Syrian fighter jets also launched continued airstrikes on ISIL's movements on roads from Homs to Raqqa.

Also in the past 24 hours, a number of militants of Fatah al-Sham Front, including a notorious field commander, were killed in Syrian Army troops' offensives on terrorist centers in Northwestern Homs.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with terrorists in the villages of Jawalik, Seneisel and al-Mahatah, while the army's artillery units shelled the movements and gatherings of militants, killing at least seven militants in the villages of Jawalik and al-Mahatah and destroying a vehicle.

A military source said that Mohammad Qasim al-Hajj, the senior commander of terrorists, was killed in the clashes.

The army soldiers also targeted terrorists' centers in Qarnateh in Northern Homs and Borj Qaei in the Western part of the province, inflicting major losses on the militants.

Idlib

Over 20 Fatah al-Sham militants, including several notorious field commanders, were killed in an airstrike in Northwestern Idlib.

"At least 25 Nusra terrorists, including their senior commanders attending a meeting in their command center, were killed in an airstrike by unidentified fighter jets on a main military base of Fatah al-Sham near the town of Sarmada in Northwestern Idlib," several local and media activists reported on Wednesday.

Raqqa

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued to hit ISIL's positions West of Ein Issa town, driving the terrorist group back from five more villages in the region.

The SDF advanced against ISIL near Tal al-Saman West of Ein Issa and drove ISIL out of the villages of Shali, Dahlan, Ariv and Arbu after hours of non-stop clashes and killing tens of militants.

The Kurdish fighters also advanced against ISIL near the villages of Qaderiyeh and Kardoshan and captured the village of Hanhoud in the Northern side of these two villages.

Kurdish sources said that the SDF had driven ISIL out of 110 villages in the course of the Euphrates Rage Operation in Raqqa province from November 5 to Tuesday.

Lattakia

Militants in two more towns laid down arms and joined the nationwide peace agreement with the Syrian government in the last 24 hours, the Russian Peace Coordination Center in Syria announced in a statement on Wednesday.

"Militants in two more towns in Lattakia province inked reconciliation agreements with the Syrian government," the Russian Center said.

"Now the total number of the cities, towns, regions and villages that have thus far joined peace plan stands at 1,086," it added.

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