Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army, Air Force Inflict Heavy Losses on Terrorists in Homs Province

The Syrian army backed by the country's air force hit hard the terrorists' military positions and hardware in the Eastern and Northern parts of Homs province.

News ID: 426679

Date: 20 January 2017 - 21:06

RNA - The terrorists sustained heavy losses in the Syrian army's attacks and air raids by the country's warplanes.

The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Homs

The Syrian Army troops and Air Force continued to deal a heavy blow to the ISIL and Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) terrorist groups in Eastern and Northern Homs on Thursday.

The army units targeted the gatherings and movements of ISIL East of the Fourth Station, Southeast of al-Tayas, Ba'ar al-Fawa'erah in Eastern Homs, killing several terrorists and destroying their military vehicles.

The army soldiers targeted a bomb-laden vehicle of ISIL on the way to Taloul al-Tayas before reaching the army's positions.

In the meantime, the army men engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL terrorists in the Eastern direction of the Fourth Station, killing a number of them and destroying their vehicles.

The warplanes and army's artillery units targeted the positions of Fatah al-Sham in the town of al-Rastan and its surroundings, in the villages of Deir Foul, al-Zafaraneh, al-Qantou and Hart al-Badu in Um Sharshouh in Northern Homs, killing a number of militants, including several commanders, and destroying several of their vehicles.

Lattakia

Opposition sources disclosed on Thursday that Fatah al-Sham Front is getting ready to carry out a large-scale attack against the Syrian army in the coastal province of Lattakia.

Websites affiliated to opposition groups disclosed that the provincial Security Council of Lattakia in a secret circular has warned all the state security branches and military commands of the Syrian army that the city of Lattakia and its countryside should stay on alert to defend their territories against an imminent terrorist attacks.

The sources said that Fatah al-Sham terrorists are getting ready to launch massive attacks in the mountainous regions of Lattakia to take control over the Kurds mountain and Turkmen mountain.

The source added that Fatah al-Sham has been preparing its forces since months ago for these massive offensives to capture the army strongholds with the help of Turkey's logistical back up.

Aleppo

Syrian army troops launched a fresh round of attacks on the ISIL positions along a chunk of Khanasser-Ithriya road that connects Aleppo to Hama province.

The army started its operation in Maqaleh Abu Kruz region 13 kilometers away from Khanasser town towards East and South to purge Aleppo-Khanasser-Ithriya road of ISIL terrorists.

The army's cleansing operation will strengthen security of Khanasser road to the towns of al-Homam, Tal Khatab and al-Sheikh Hilal.

The army engaged in fighting with ISIL near the heights in Eastern Aleppo as part of the same operation. Reports said several heights along the road to Khanasser have already been cleaned up in the army operation.

Reports said earlier on Thursday that the army continued fierce military operations against the ISIL in the Eastern parts of Aleppo province and liberated several regions after retaking control of A'abad and al-Saffah villages.

Following heavy clashes with the ISIL terrorists and killing and wounding tens of them, the army troops regained control of Afrin and al-Shahrour villages in the Eastern parts of Aleppo province.

The Syrian fighter jets also targeted ISIL's positions in Deir Hafer and al-Bab towns and al-Amam village, inflicting casualties and damage on the terrorists.

According to a field source, the army started moving forward from the air force academy and Kuweires airbase towards the Eastern parts of the military bases in order to block the move of the raiding terrorists.

He added that the Syrian army units continued the operations in Eastern Aleppo from four directions.

Hama

Syrian Army soldiers carried out an ambush operation against a group of militants near a key town in Hama, destroying their military grid and inflicting major casualties on the militants.

The army men carried out a surprise attack on a group of terrorists who were relocating to new positions East of Taybat al-Imam, killing or wounding a number of them and destroying their vehicles.

The army soldiers also ambushed another group of terrorists in a nearby region Northeast of Albu'eizeh.

The army troops also targeted a group of terrorists that intended to enter the village of Jadrin from the direction of Hirbnafsa village in Southern Hama, inflicting at least 29 casualties on them.

Deir Ezzur

The army troops have started devastating attacks on ISIL in and around the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur after several days of defense, and won back several positions from the terrorists, a Syrian army general declared on Thursday.

Major General Hassan Mohammad said that the army soldiers have started attacking ISIL's concentration centers and have recaptured several positions in Deir Ezzur after fending off several ISIL offensives in the last few days.

He further added that the al-Ta'amin Brigade Base that lies close to Deir Ezzur Airbase has been brought back under the army control and soldiers are now engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL to seize back control over the nearby power station.

Hassan Mohammad went on to say that security has also been established at the housing district, known as the University Residential Area, and Tal (hill) Barouk after the army managed to repel ISIL's numerous assaults on the two regions.

"Russian and Syrian warplanes are pounding ISIL's gatherings and movements in the battlefields, inflicting major many casualties on the terrorists," he added.

The Syrian general further pointed out that military helicopters are also flying over Deir Ezzur to strike at ISIL militants and deliver aid to the airbase.

Reports said earlier on Thursday that entire members of a group of ISIL terrorists were killed in an unprecedented attack by unknown assailants on their base in Deir Ezzur.

A media source disclosed that several unknown assailants have stormed one of an ISIL position in the village of Hatleh.

The attackers first made all the 9 members of the group unconscious and then killed them.

The source said that popular forces and some of the secret groups have revolted against ISIL after the terrorist group executed and beheaded civilians.

Damascus

Syrian Army troops continued to advance against terrorists in Northeastern Damascus and cut off a number of their supply roads to further tighten siege on the militants.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with terrorist groups in Wadi al-Bardi region and took full control over Wadi al-Tamameh and Abu Salem passage.

A military source confirmed that the recent advances of the army have enabled government forces to lay complete siege on Wadi al-Bardi and meantime separate al-Jaroud and the village of Afreh from other villages in Wadi al-Bardi, adding that the terrorists' supply roads from al-Jaroud to these villages have been completely cut off.

In the meantime, Hamoud Doukeh, a notorious commander of the terrorists was killed in clashes with the army soldiers in Wadi al-Bardi region.

Hamoud was among the first soldiers that left the Syrian army and joined Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) in Wadi al-Bardi.

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