Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Syrian Army Retakes More Regions near Kuweires

Rasa - Syrian army troops are driving the ISIL terrorists out of more lands near Kuweires airbase to pave the ground for the liberation of the towns of al-Bab and Deir Hafer.

News ID: 426656

Date: 19 January 2017 - 18:19

RNA - Syrian army troops are driving the ISIL terrorists out of more lands near Kuweires airbase to pave the ground for the liberation of the towns of al-Bab and Deir Hafer.

Aleppo

Syrian army troops launched a fresh round of large-scale offensive in Eastern Aleppo to drive ISIL terrorists out of more regions near Kuweires airbase to liberate the towns of al-Bab and Deir Hafer.

The army men started their anti-ISIL operation to the South of Kuweires and managed to take control of the town of A'abad.

The army soldiers also could break through terrorists' defense lines in the towns of Rasm al-Alam and al-Moshrifeh East of Aleppo province.

The army's artillery and missile units have been continuously targeting ISIL's gatherings in Aleppo's countryside.

The Syrian and Russian warplanes have been conducting reconnaissance flights in the Eastern parts of Aleppo province to prevent ISIL from dispatching reinforcements to the battlefields.

A military source said that the army has dispatched a large volume of equipment and a large number of soldiers to the regions East of Aleppo to take part in anti-ISIL operation and take control of the last bases of ISIL in the region.

Also in the past 24 hours, ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in an offensive on government forces' strongholds in Air Force Academy in Eastern Aleppo that was repelled by Syrian Army soldiers.

The army men warded off ISIL's attack on its positions in Air Force Academy and the surrounding areas of Kuweires airbase, killing or wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their hardware.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units shelled ISIL's concentration centers and movements in al-Harmal region and near the town of Deir Hafer, destroying military vehicles of the terrorists on a road connecting Deir Hafer region to Kuweires airbase.

The army aircraft continued to bomb ISIL's positions near the towns of al-Bab and Deir Hafer, killing a number of militants.

Also reports said on Wednesday that the Syrian army troops are about to cut off ISIL's key supplying road to the town of al-Bab in Northeastern Aleppo after starting a massive anti-ISIL operation in Eastern Aleppo this morning and capturing A'abad village.

The army soldiers continued their attacks on ISIL's positions in Eastern Aleppo and took control of the village of al-Sufeh close to Deir Hafer town, killing and wounding a large number of militants.

A field source said the army troops have also engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL, tacking back military control over the village of Sawran near the town of Azaz in Northern Aleppo, adding, "If Sawran village is completely taken back by the army, a key supplying road of ISIL that connects Souran to al-Bab will be cut off."

Also on Wednesday, the Russian General Staff said that Russian and Turkish military aircraft have conducted their first joint operation in Syria.

The Turkish Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out their joint operation against ISIL near Al-Bab in the Aleppo province.

"Nine strike aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including four Su-24M, four Su-25 and one Su-34 bomber, as well as eight Turkish Air Force's jets four F-16 and dour F-4 aircraft are involved in the aerial campaign agreed with Syrian authorities," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said at a news briefing in Moscow.

A total of 35 targets have been destroyed by Russian and Turkish military jets, Rudskoy said.

According to the first estimates of the results of the Russia-Turkey joint airstrikes in Syria, they have been highly effective, he said.

Deir Ezzur

Syrian fighter jets carried out several heavy air raids on ISIL's gatherings and movements in the Southern countryside of Deir Ezzur city, killing and wounding a large number of terrorists and destroying their equipment.

The warplanes launched heavy airstrikes on ISIL's concentration centers in al-Thardah region, near the 137th regiment and Deir Ezzur airbase, inflicting major casualties on the militants and destroying their vehicles.

The army aircraft also targeted ISIL's positions in al-Maqaber region (cemetery), Panorama and the Eastern entrance to Deir Ezzur, leaving a number of militants dead or wounded.

Also in the past 24 hours, the ISIL terrorists drove a wedge along the government-controlled regions after capturing Deir Ezzur's cemetery and the road connecting the city to the airbase, a field source said Wednesday.

The source said that ISIL has taken control of Deir Ezzur's cemetery and the road connecting the city to the airbase, laying siege on the army men in the military airport.

"The Syrian and Russian fighter jets are bombing ISIL's movements and gatherings in Deir Ezzur's cemetery and around the airbase, while army soldiers are engaged in tough battle to take back control of the cemetery," the sources said.

The source further added that ISIL terrorists that have captured Deir Ezzur's cemetery and al-Omal region have started massive offensives to capture the airbase with thousands of militants, but the army men have thus far repelled their attacks, killing tens of them.

Military sources revealed on Wednesday that the Syrian Army troops in the city of Deir Ezzur have launched a large-scale attack on ISIL's positions in the Southern outskirts of the city to remove the newly-laid siege on the military airport.

The sources said that the army soldiers engaged in intensive fight against ISIL North of al-Omal region to recapture al-Omal and then the city's cemetery to reopen the road connecting the city to the airbase.

The source added that Syrian and Russian fighter jets have been providing massive aerial back up for the ground troops of the army.

In the meantime, the army men fended off ISIL's attacks in Panorama and the university's residential area in Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur, killing tens of the militants.

Meantime, on Wednesday, people in Southeastern Deir Ezzur intensified protests against ISIL, and engaged in street battles with them in two towns along the Euphrates River.

People in the towns of al-Mayadeen and al-Ashareh stormed several ISIL centers and set fire on them.

The popular uprising broke out after the ISIL terrorists' advanced against the Syrian Army troops in the Southern and Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur and cut off the a key road connecting the city to a military airport.

Residents of al-Mayadeen also set fire on several vehicles of ISIL's so-called special police.

Also, in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops warded off ISIL's large-scale attacks on their positions in the Southern, Southwestern and Western outskirts of Deir Ezzur, while the country's Air Force continued to bomb terrorists' movements near the military airport.

Field sources said that the army soldiers have repelled ISIL's attacks on government positions in areas surrounding Deir Ezzur university, the Western outskirts of the city and the 137th regiment.

Fierce clashes are still underway near the 137th regiment.

ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the failed attacks.

The ISIL terrorist also attacked government positions in Tal Barouk and the University's residential area Southwest of Deir Ezzur, but the army troops engaged in heavy fighting with them, killing a large number of them and repelling their attack.

Fierce clashes are also underway in Deir Ezzur's cemetery and al-Omal region South of the city where the army men have not only stopped ISIL's advances but are also trying hard to take back the positions they have lost in last 24 hours.

The army soldiers also did not allow ISIL to advance in Panorama region in the Southern outskirt of Deir Ezzur.

The army's artillery and missile units have also been shelling the gatherings and movements of the ISIL in the battlefields around the city, while the army aircraft pounded ISIL's gatherings near the military airport, Panorama and the cemetery.

Damascus

Syrian army troops engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta, driving them out of more lands.

The army soldiers stormed terrorists' concentration centers in the farms East of the town of Harazma in al-Marj region and took control over 12 farms in an operation that came in retaliation for several violations of the nationwide ceasefire by the militants in Eastern Ghouta.

In the meantime, the army men engaged in heavy fighting with terrorists in Douma and managed to take full control over the entire farms, positions and residential districts between the towns of al-Bahariyeh and al-Qasemiyeh.

Also, sporadic clashes erupted between the army troops and Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) in al-Jobar, and then the army's artillery and missile units shelled Fatah al-Sham's positions in the neighborhood.

Also in the past 24 hours, Syrian army troops continued their advances against terrorist groups in Northwestern Damascus, fortifying more positions in Ein al-Fijeh village.

A military source said that the army men that took full control of the key villages of Basimeh and Ein al-Khazra a couple of days ago have now prevailed over terrorists' defense lines in Ein al-Fijeh and have fortified more positions there.

The source further added that the army soldiers that are deployed in the surrounding heights of Ein al-Fijeh have been monitoring terrorists' movements to gather information on their military plans.

The source added that as the main drinking water reservoirs of Damascus are in Ein al-Fijeh, and stated, "The army is carrying out its operation in this region very carefully and slowly without the back up of the country's fighter jets to avoid damaging the water facilities in the region."

Meantime, the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced on Wednesday that militants in more regions laid down arms and joined the nationwide reconciliation plan across Syria.

"Representatives of militants in more regions signed peace agreements with Damascus," the Russian center said, adding, "Total number of cities, towns, regions and villages that have thus far joined peace process in Syrian now stands at 1,134."

The Russian Defense Ministry said that peace negotiations are also underway with various field commanders from the provinces of Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Quneitra.

Homs

The Syrian Air Force and Army's artillery and missile units targeted the concentration centers of Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) and ISIL in Northern and Eastern Homs, killing a number of militants and destroying their equipment.

The Syrian Army units hit ISIL's movements in areas North of the Fourth Station in the Western direction of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), killing 12 terrorists and destroying a bomb-laden vehicle.

The warplanes targeted heavily ISIL's centers near the Fourth Station, Tadmur and gas and oil fields, leaving a number of militants dead and their vehicles and bases destroyed.

The artillery units and warplanes meantime, hit Fatah al-Sham's bases hard in the village of Deir Foul in Northern Homs, killing several terrorists and destroying their vehicle.

The army units in retaliation for terrorists' attacks on civilians in Jabourin, targeted their bases in the villages and towns of al-Qantou, Talbiseh, Qarnateh and al-Farhaniyeh in Northern Homs, destroying militants' missile and mortar launchers.

Hama

The Syrian Air Force carried out several combat flights over ISIL's bases and movements in Eastern Hama, killing a large number of the terrorists and destroying their bases.

The warplanes bombed ISIL's positions near the village of Aniq Bajereh in Qasr Ibn Wardan region, destroying one of the bases of the terrorists and killing a number of militants inside the base.

The army aircraft also targeted several positions of ISIL to the Southwest of al-Salamiyah town near the village of Bariqit, destroying the terrorists' base and killing a large number of them.

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