Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Repels Attacks on Gov't Positions in Deir Ezzur

Rasa - Syrian army soldiers repelled terrorists' attacks on their positions in Deir Ezzur province after hours of clashes, inflicting major losses on them.

News ID: 426750

Date: 23 January 2017 - 15:03

RNA - The ISIL terrorists' attacks to capture the government forces' positions in the Southern and Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city were fended off by the strong defense of the Syrian military men.

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

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in other provinces across Syria.

Deir Ezzur

The ISIL terrorist group failed to prevail over the Syrian Army troops' positions in the Southern and Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, and inflicted major losses on the militants.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists near Panorama district and also near Deir Ezzur's military airport.

The ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the clashes.

In the meantime, the army's aircraft launched heavy airstrikes on ISIL's gatherings and movements in al-Thardah mountain, Panorama farms and the districts of al-Arzi and al-Omal.

The Syrian and Russian warplanes also carried out joint combat flights over ISIL's defense lines in Deir Ezzur's cemetery and Jonayd Division in the Southern outskirts of the city, while the army's artillery and missile units shelled the same positions of the terrorists, inflicting a number of casualties on the terrorists.

Reports said earlier on Sunday that the army troops engaged in intense battle with ISIL terrorists and drove them out of more positions in two key districts in the Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur with the back up of the country's Air Force and artillery units.

The army soldiers continued to advance against ISIL in Deir Ezzur's cemetery, and seized control over several positions.

In the meantime, the army aircraft and artillery units pounded ISIL's movements in the cemetery, killing and wounding a number of militants.

A military source said that ISIL tried to open new battlefields in the Eastern outskirts of Deir Ezzur to decrease the army's pressure on its forces in the cemetery but the army men in al-Omal district managed to foil terrorists' attempts, killing or wounding a large number of militants and destroying their vehicles and positions.

Homs

The Syrian Army's missile units targeted the positions of Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) in Northern Homs, destroying the group's operation room in Northern Homs.

The missile units shelled the operations room of Fatah al-Sham and Rejalullah militants in Housh Hajaw, destroying it completely.

A number of terrorists were killed and several military vehicles of them were destroyed in the missile attack.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units targeted the gatherings and movements of al-Nusra in Northern Homs, inflicting major losses on the militants.

Damascus

Syrian Army soldiers continued their attacks on positions of Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) and managed to lay siege on militants in Ein al-Fijeh's water facilities in Western Ghouta that supplies drinking water to Damascus city.

The army men took control over buildings to the North of the water facilities in the village of Ein al-Fijeh, and encircled Fatah al-Sham terrorists at the water facilities.

A field source said that the army soldiers have established control over al-Naba'a al-Fijeh square and Zeytoon (olive) farms near the al-Naba'a region, and are not far away from the water reservoirs, adding that the army soldiers are now carrying out cleansing operation in regions near the reservoirs.

The source further added that security has been restored to the buildings adjacent to the reservoir and the army men are advancing against Nusra militants.

The source went on to say that severe disagreement has erupted among terrorists in Ein al-Fijeh. Some of the militants want to join the reconciliation plan with the government, but some others want to be relocated to militant-held regions in Idlib province.

"Militants' disagreement has delayed the peace talks," he said.

Idlib

Clashes intensified between the terrorists of Ahrar al-Sham and al-Nusra Front in Idlib and claimed the lives of dozens of terrorists from both sides.

Members of Ahrar al-Sham terrorist group have been reported as to be attempting to target the regions controlled by al-Nusra Front in Idlib.

Field sources said that Jabal al-Zawiyeh in Idlib is among the regions which is often attacked by Ahrar al-Sham.

Aleppo

Syrian Army troops continued to advance against ISIL terrorists near the newly-liberated village of Sawran, driving them out of more key villages in Northern Aleppo.

The army men that liberated the village of Sawran this morning continued their attacks on ISIL's defense lines in the region and seized control over the villages of Sarjeh al-Saqireh, Sarjeh al-Kabireh and Maran after hours of non-stop clashes.

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

Reports said earlier on Sunday that the army soldiers broke through ISIL's positions in the village of Sawran to the East of the town of Azaz and entered the village, inflicting several casualties on the terrorists.

The army's heavy attacks forced ISIL to pull back its forces from the battlefield.

The army further captured the village after ISIL's retreat.

A military source said that the main objective of the army men after liberation of Sawran will be the villages of Sarjeh and Maran.

The source added that if the army can tack back the villages of Sarjeh and Maran the government forces will lay siege on the village of Aran to the South of al-Bab town.

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