Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Wins Back More Strategic Regions Near Ancient Palmyra

Rasa - The Syrian army and its allies made significant advances against the ISIL terrorists in the Central province of Homs after seizing back more key areas in the vicinity of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur).

News ID: 426574

Date: 15 January 2017 - 21:50

RNA - The terrorists sustained heavy losses in fierce clashes with the Syrian government troops near Palmyra city.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Damascus and Deir Ezzur, over past 24 hours.

Homs

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets, started a fresh round of anti-ISIL operation to the West of ancient Palmyra (Tadmur), capturing more lands in the region.

The Army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL near T4 airbase and al-Bardeh region, killing a large number of terrorists and driving the rest of them out of more positions in Eastern Homs.

The Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out tens of combat sorties over ISIL's gatherings and movements near Palmyra and energy fields near the city and al-Bardeh.

Meantime, a military source said that the ISIL is after capturing T4 airbase and then the town of al-Quaryatayn, but the Syrian and Russian warplanes have foiled plans of terrorists in preemptive strikes.

According to another military source, the first phase of the army's special operation in Eastern Homs is aimed at capturing the Jazal mountain and Al-Maher gas gields to liberate these sites from ISIL's control.

Dara'a

The Syrian Air Force targeted one of the most important bases of the Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) in Northern Dara'a, and destroyed the base and militants' equipment.

The army aircraft bombed Fatah al-Sham's base to the West of the town of Dael, destroying the base and killing or wounding almost 45 terrorists.

After the liberation of the strategic town of Sheikh Meskeen, a preliminary agreement was concluded between the Syrian government and militants in the towns of Dael and Ibtta in the Southern side of Sheikh Meskeen in order to pave the ground for the militants to hand over their territories to the government without clashes, but differences among the militant groups pushed the agreement into failure and caused the army men to restart their military operation in the region.

Damascus

Syrian Army troops' rapid advances against terrorists and wining back the villages of Basimeh and Ein al-Fijeh have paved the way for the reopening the flow of drinking water from Wadi al-Bardi to Damascus.

The army soldiers that engaged in fierce clashes with terrorist groups in Wadi al-Bardi region in Western Ghouta took full control over Basimeh and Ein al-Fijeh, while terrorists pulled back forces toward the village of Ein al-Khazra.

The army men were involved in an intense battle with terrorists in Ein al-Khazra, forcing the militants to leave their positions in the village.

The army troops' advances will soon enable maintenance groups deployed in Ein al-Fijeh region to repair its water facilities.

Syrian Minister of Waster Resources Nabil al-Hassan underlined that maintenance groups had entered Ein al-Fijeh and would start fixing the water facilities in the region.

Local sources, meanwhile, said that water pumping operation have started after several hours of work by maintenance groups in Ein al-Fijeh, adding that water will soon come back to Damascus residents.

Meantime, the Syrian Army troops continued their advances against terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta and won full control over a key town in the region.

The army soldiers engaged in hours-long clashes with terrorists and drove them back from the town of Hawsh al-Zariqiyeh.

Sources affiliated to militant groups disclosed that rebels in the region near Hawsh al-Zariqiyeh avoided sending reinforcement to the town after they were informed of the army advances.

A field source said that the terrorists have suffered a heavy death toll in Hawsh al-Zariqiyeh, adding that the army units are about to continue their advances towards Tal (hill) Farzat, while other units will move towards al-Nashibiyeh.

But, some reports said that terrorists have targeted the regions near water reservoirs halting repairing process.

The Syrian Army raised the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic over the al-Fijeh Springs on Saturday, marking the first time in 4 years that this site has been under government control.

Militant groups captured the Wadi al-Bardi region in 2013 after an attack on this water rich part of Western Damascus, and since then they have frequently blocked the water flow to nearly 5 million civilians in Damascus for living under the Syrian government's protection.

Idlib

Terrorist groups have increased attacks on each other across Idlib province, while terror operations against commanders have been on the rise in recent weeks in the militant-held regions in the province, local sources said.

The sources said that senior Commander of Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) Abu Ali al-Tunisi was killed in a terrorist attack on a road to the town of Qemaynas in Southeastern Idlib.

At least 20 Turkistani terrorists were killed in an attack by rival terrorists on a building in Jabal al-Arbaeen in the town of Ariha, they added.

Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham are accusing each other of being the main cause of disunity and insecurity in Idlib and its countryside.

Ahrar al-Sham believes that Fatah al-Sham's opposition to merging militant groups is the cause of disunity and insecurity.

Al-Omar, one of the commanders of Ahrar, said those members of ISIL that are now among Jund al-Aqsa and have made allegiance to Fatah al-Sham are in charge of insecurity and terror in Idlib.

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