Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Regains Control of 40 Key Towns, Villages in Aleppo Province

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its advances in Aleppo province in Northern Syria, and took back control of tens of towns and villages in the province.

News ID: 427296

Date: 11 February 2017 - 17:18

RNA - The army units drove the ISIL terrorists out of 40 towns, villages and farms as well as their surrounding areas.

The Syrian troops killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more in fierce clashes over controlling strategic towns, villages and farms. They also destroyed several vehicles of the militants equipped with machine guns.

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

Aleppo

The Syrian army conducted massive military operations in the Eastern part of Aleppo province, seizing back tens of towns, villages and farms from the ISIL terrorist group.

"At least 40 towns, villages and their surrounding farms were seized back in the Eastern part of Aleppo province," a military source said on Friday.

The source said that the Syrian government troops are advancing towards al-Bab region from three directions and the ISIL terrorists who are in al-Bab, al-Tadef, Bazaeh and Deir Hafer will not be granted a safe passage to retreat once the Syrian army tightens its siege of al-Bab in the South.

He pointed to the importance of the battle for liberating al-Bab region, and said, "The al-Bab region has become is of paramount importance for all warring sides in Syria because the strategic and geographical status of al-Bab has turned the city into an important supply and logistical route in Syria."

Meantime, media sources reported clashes between the Syrian army and the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield Operation troops in the Eastern part of Aleppo province for the first time.

Fire fights were reported between the Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed militants Southwest of the ISIL stronghold of Al-Bab in Aleppo province.

The Syrian forces opened fire on the militants' vehicle at the Abu Zindin village as it was on the move to block the Army’s advance in the region, and the militants responded with light and semi-heavy machineguns as both parties race to take over the strategic city, the AMN reported.

A monitoring group also disclosed that Syrian army soldiers and Turkish forces clashed near Syria’s border with Turkey, in a first such confrontation since Turkish forces entered Syrian territory without permission from Damascus.

Homs

The Syrian army and air force intensified their military operations against the ISIL in Eastern and Southwestern Homs and pounded the terrorist group's gathering centers and movements near an oil-rich region.

The Syrian army units hit hard the ISIL's concentration centers in the surrounding areas of Hayan oil rich region in al-Bayarat region and South of al-Qauryatayn dam South-West of Homs province as well as al-Baredeh region in the East which resulted in the destruction of several military vehicles and death of a large number of the ISIL terrorists.

The Syrian army troops also engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists in al-Tayyebeh region and near Qasr al-Hayr in Eastern Homs as the country's fighter jets by attacking the ISIL's positions in the surrounding areas of Palmyra and Eastern al-Baviza region in Eastern Homs.

In a relevant development earlier on Friday, Tens of militants in Homs province handed over their arms to the Syrian Army troops and received government amnesty.

At least 82 militants in al-Holeh and its surrounding areas in Homs province handed over their weapons to Damascus officials stationed there.

The 82 militants passed through al-Samalil passage designated by the Syrian government and surrendered themselves.

The militants had previously called for government pardoning, so the relevant officials granted them amnesty after seizing their arms.

The militants delivered their weapons to the army in a peaceful environment.

Lattakia

The Syrian army warded off fierce attacks by the terrorist groups from several directions in Northern Lattakia, inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists.

The Syrian army units opened fire on invading terrorists who were trying to attack the Syrian army's military positions in the town of Kannisba, Hasan al-Rai mountain, Jabal Qaleh and Tal Rashv in the Northern parts of Lattakia, and forced them to retreat after inflicting many casualties on the militants.

The Syrian army also pounded the gathering centers and movements of the terrorist groups in the region and forced them to withdraw from the battlefield.

Meantime, an informed military source rejected the news reports released by the terrorists on inflicting heavy casualties on the Syrian soldiers, and said, "Terrorists have lost many of their comrades and withdrew from the region without any achievement."

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian army backed by the air force continued their military operation in Deir Ezzur province on Friday to lift the ISIL's siege of the city's military airport.

The Syrian army's artillery and missile units backed by the country's air force hit hard ISIL's gathering centers and movements near Deir Ezzur cemetery, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on the militants.

The Syrian and Russian fighter jets also pounded ISIL's military positions in Hilltop 17 near Jabal Tharda (Tharda mountain) in Southern Deir Ezzur which resulted in the destruction of two military vehicles and razed five military positions of the ISIL, killing several ISIL terrorists.

The Syrian army troops' artillery and missile units also targeted the ISIL's military positions in al-Ma'amel region which resulted in the destruction of an arms depot.

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