Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Russia Pounds 892 Terrorist Targets Near Al-Bab

Rasa - The Russian air force launched airstrikes against 892 terrorist targets near the strategic town of al-Bab in Aleppo province.

News ID: 427248

Date: 09 February 2017 - 23:55

RNA - The Russian air force launched airstrikes against 892 terrorist targets near the strategic town of al-Bab in Aleppo province.

Aleppo

Syrian army troops continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Aleppo and came closer to the strategic town of al-Bab.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in the village of Ma'eizileh and managed to take control over the village.

The army soldiers had seized control over al-Hawareh hill and al-Majbal region earlier.

In the meantime, the army troops targeted ISIL's positions in Southeastern Aleppo, and also engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in Jabal (mount) al-Shabith East of the town of Khanasser.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed 892 terrorist targets near the Syrian town of al-Bab in Aleppo province as ISIL is entrapped under the Syrian army troops' siege.

Chief of the General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi announced that "the jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed 892 terrorist targets near al-Bab".

The Syrian Army continued its advances against ISIL in Eastern Aleppo and drove terrorists out of more key towns and hills near the town of al-Bab, deploying forces in the nearest positions to the terrorist-held town.

Also on Wednesday, Syrian army troops continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Aleppo and took control over a strategic road connecting the Kuweires region to the town of Khanasser.

The army men first pushed ISIL back from Tal (hill) al-Hawareh, and al-Jaboul lake South-East of Aleppo province and then moved towards the road connecting areas South of the Kuweires airbase to the Northeast of Khanasser town that ends in al-Hawareh hill.

The ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the army's advances.

Field sources said Russia's aerial back up played a crucial role in the advances made by the Syrian army's ground troops in al-Majbal region and al-Hawareh hill West of al-Oweishiyeh hill.

"Army's control over these hills has enabled the government troops to monitor the terrorists' movements on the key road of Tadif-Al-Bab, and tightened siege on ISIL inside al-Bab town.

Deir Ezzur

Syrian army soldiers engaged in a two-hour-long battle with the Al-Nusra Front and its allied terrorist group of Faylaq al-Sham in Eastern Ghouta and could fend off their offensive with the back up of Russian and Syrian fighter jets.

The army units, backed up by the Russian and Syrian warplanes, repelled the joint offensive of al-Nusra and Faylaq al-Sham that was launched from the town of Arbin towards army positions in Harasta.

Early army reports said the terrorist groups suffered heavy casualties in the clashes.

After repelling the terrorists' offensive, the army took immediate measure to launch several counterattacks to stretch its control over the region and disperse them, field sources said.

They added that the army's artillery units further targeted terrorists' concentration centers in the towns of Arbin, Zmelka, Jobar, Ein Terma, deep into Ghouta towards Harazam, Meida'ani and Hawsh al-Zawahereh.

Also in the past 24 hours, Syrian army troops in a preemptive move targeted the gatherings and movements of the ISIL terrorists in the Southern countryside of Deir Ezzur, preventing their move towards the city's military airport.

The army soldiers stormed ISIL's concentration centers and movements near Deir Ezzur airbase and foiled the terrorists' plans for an imminent offensive, killing at least nine terrorists, including several non-Syrians.

The ISIL pulled the remaining pockets of its forces back from the battlefield to evade more casualties.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army backed by the Russian air force continued its advances in the Southern part of Deir Ezzur province and managed to seize control of vast areas in the region.

"Russian long-range aircraft played an important role in undermining the combat capability and demoralization of Daesh [ISIL] troops in the area of ​​the city of Deir Ezzur. Tu-22M3 aircraft conducted 36 sorties, during which 34 terrorist facilities were destroyed," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said, adding that "with the active support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the garrison of government troops in the besieged city of Deir Ezzur has significantly improved its position".

Also in the past 24 hours, two top field commanders of the ISIL terrorist group, including a Libyan militia, were killed in Syrian air raids in Deir Ezzur, Syrian Army's Field Commander Brigadier General Osam Zahralddeen declared on Wednesday.

The Syrian General said that at least 15 members of the ISIL, including Field Commander Abu Mohammad al-Adnani and Libyan Commander Abu Walid Terablosi, were killed in the air assault near Deir Ezzur city.

Zahralddeen said the army has launched fresh attacks on ISIL's defense lines in Deir Ezzur's cemetery in the Southern outskirts of the city in recent days and managed to advance 3km deep into the ISIL occupied territories.

Damascus

The terrorist groups once again targeted the al-Wafedeen Refugee camp in Eastern Ghouta with a barrage of missile and rockets, preventing exit of civilians and militants via a safe corridor set up by the Syrian Army.

Terrorist groups' missile units shelled the humanitarian corridor in al-Wafedeen refugee camp for the fifth day in a row, preventing evacuation of civilians and those militants that intend to join peace with the Syrian government.

No civilian has yet managed to leave Eastern Ghouta via the corridor in al-Wafedeen, field sources said.

Sources in Eastern Ghouta said the terrorists' continued attacks on the corridor in al-Wafedeen have made the popular and reconciliation committees hold a meeting with the governor general to pave the ground for Syrian army to establish a safer corridor adjacent to al-Shorta hospital near Harasta.

The army has set up al-Wafedeen corridor to facilitate exit of residents of Eastern Ghouta with the cooperation of the Red Crescent ambulances, police and security force deployed in the region.

A field source said Wednesday that Syrian Army troops fended off two separated offensives of the terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta, inflicting major losses on the militants.

The source said that terrorist groups had planned to prevail over the government forces' positions in a surprise attack and through a tunnel that runs to the governor's building Northwest of the town of Arbin, but the army men led them into a trap and engaged in fierce clashes with them.

The army aircraft bombed terrorists' movements several times simultaneous with the army clashes with the terrorists in Arbin, destroying their positions.

A large number of terrorists were killed and the rest of them fled the battlefield in the failed operation.

Also, Ein al-Fijeh's water facilities in Wadi al-Bardi in Western Ghouta have been repaired and all the water pipelines stretched from the reservoirs to Damascus have come back into operation, the Russian defense officials announced on Wednesday.

"The water supplies to the Syrian capital have almost been restored in Wadi Bardi," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate said, adding that "As many as 2,500 militants have laid down their arms".

The Syrian army started its military operation against the al-Nusra Front in Damascus countryside nearly 50 days ago, capturing the entire villages and towns in Wadi al-Bardi region.

Also in the past 24 hours, militants in five more regions in three key provinces laid down arms and joined the nationwide reconciliation agreement with the Syrian government, the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced Wednesday.

"Representatives of militants in three regions in Damascus province, one region in Hama province and one region in Lattakia province inked peace agreements with the Damascus government," the Russian center said, adding, "Now the total number of the regions, cities, town and villages that have thus far joined the peace process stands at 1,203."

The Russian Defense Ministry said that negotiations on joining the ceasefire regime continue with various field commanders from the provinces of Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Quneitra.

Idlib

A group of terrorists affiliated to the newly-formed Ahrar al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board) entered a government hospital in the town of Ma'arat al-Nu'aman in Idlib province, using force, and took several guards of the medical center that were members of Ahrar al-Sham hostages.

Media sources affiliated to terrorist groups said that fighters of Ahrar al-Sham Hay'at arrested Ahrar's guards of the hospital on charges of assassinating the board's forces.

Later, al-Nusra and Faylaq al-Sham agreed to exclude the hospital in Ma'arat al-Nu'aman from their differences and set up their military centers far away from the medical center, allowing Nusra forces to guard the hospital.

Meantime, after Jeish al-Sonah joined the al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and Soqour al-Sham battalions launched heavy attacks on Jeish al-Sonah's positions in the village of Tarmla in the Southeastern countryside of Idlib and seized most of their positions and arms depots, forcing them to leave the village.

Also on Wednesday, media sources affiliated to the terrorist groups disclosed that an top Uzbek military trainer of the Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) has been killed in the recent Russian airstrikes in Idlib.

The sources said that Nusra's top military expert, Abu Rafiq, was originally from Uzbekistan, adding Abu Rafiq was killed in the Russian air raids on Nusra's position in Idlib.

In the meantime, some other sources claimed that Abu Rafiq was killed in a surprise attack carried out by the Syrian Army Special Forces in Idlib.

The sources added that Abu Rafiq was a military expert responsible for training the commanders and members of al-Nusra and Turkistani Islamic Party how to plan war missions and how to prepare forces for battles.

Homs

Syrian Army troops, backed up by the country's warplanes, engaged in a fresh round of clashes with ISIL and could manage to drive the terrorists out of more positions in energy-rich and al-Bayarat regions West of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur).

The army soldiers stormed ISIL's defense lines along the road to al-Maher oilfield and seized a strategic hill in the region after hours of clashes and inflicting a number of casualties on the militants.

The army men also engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL and took back mountains to the West of Jahar station.

The army's artillery and missile units and warplanes pounded ISIL's positions in al-Bayarat region, Jahar and Jazal as well.

The army troops could also advance against ISIL to the South of the village of al-Beidheh al-Sharqi in al-Bayarat.

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