Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Wins Back Several Key Regions Near Key Oilfield in Homs Province

Rasa - The Syrian army and resistance fighters backed by the country's air force regained full control over a number of key regions in Homs province in fierce clashes with the militants.

News ID: 427513

Date: 19 February 2017 - 21:35

RNA - The army units won back several strategic regions near al-Jahar oilfield in Homs province.

Scores of terrorists were killed and injured as the army was purging them from the newly captured areas in Homs province.

The Syrian army, popular forces and resistance forces also continued their military gains in other key provinces across Syria, inflicting heavy losses on them.

Homs

The Syrian army troops and their allies continued to advance in the Eastern parts of Homs and retook control of several positions near al-Jahar oilfield.

The army forces attacked ISIL's positions near the al-Baydha road in the Eastern parts of T4 military base in Eastern Homs and regained control of several points near al-Jahar oilfield and al-Hayal mountain.

During the large-scale operations, tens of terrorists were killed and wounded.

A military source said that after sustaining heavy defeats in Eastern Homs, the ISIL militants have now gone on the defense, staying on alert for the army's impending offensive operation in the region.

Earlier on Saturday military sources said that the Syrian army troops and popular forces are about to reach the strategic Triangle of Palmyra (Tadmur), inching closer to driving out ISIL terrorists from the ancient city.

Fars News dispatches quoted the military sources in Eastern Homs as saying that the army and popular forces will reach Tadmur triangle in coming hours and will have only several kilometers more to go to reach the main entrance of the city of Tadmur.

The dispatches said that anti-ISIL attacks of government forces continue in the villages of Eastern Homs with the massive support of the Russian air force. The government forces are fortifying the newly-liberated positions, specially after the liberation of the key village of al-Kalabiyeh.

Another military source told FNA that the main objective of the army's operation is reaching the Tadmur triangle, adding, "The army has already seized back 2sq/km from ISIL South of al-Bayart West of Tadmur, and are now just 15 km away from the Tadmur triangle."

The Syrian Army troops and warplanes continued to attack terrorist groups' positions and gathering centers in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib, killing and wounding a number of militants and destroying their equipment.

Idlib-Hama

The army units targeted the concentration centers of the terrorists in the villages of al-Habit and Rakaya Sajneh in Southern Idlib, killing tens of militants, including several commanders and destroying two vehicles carrying arms and ammunition.

In the meantime, the army soldiers hit the positions of Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) near the town of al-Tamanna and in the village of Atshan, destroying a main position of the militants in al-Jaberiyeh region.

The army aircraft pounded terrorists' centers in the towns of Kafr Zita and al-Tibeh in Northern Hama and in the village of al-Rahjan in Eastern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Similar reports said earlier on Saturday that the army soldiers targeted terrorists' concentration centers near the village of al-Karkat in Northern Hama, and inflicted a number of casualties on the militants.

The army men, meantime, pounded the gatherings and movements of terrorists in the village of al-Sayyad and the town of Taybat al-Imam in Northern Hama, killing or wounding a number of militants.

In the meantime, the army aircraft bombed heavily the positions of Al-Nusra Front near the town of al-Tamanna in Southern Idlib, killing a number of militants and destroying their weapons and ammunition.

The army's planes had previously dropped thousands of surrender now leaflets over the militant-held regions in Southern Idlib and Northern Hama, urging them to lay down arms and surrender to government force.

Aleppo

Syrian Army troops continued their anti-ISIL attacks in Eastern Aleppo and managed to capture several strategic hills near the key town of Deir Hafer.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and entered the village of Humeimeh al-Kabireh, taking control of a large part of it after seizing the Humeimeh al-Kabireh hill.

The Russian fighter jets carried out several combat flights over ISIL's positions simultaneous with the army's advances in the region.

A military source said that the army troops could take control of all ISIL road to Deir Hafer and to the villages of Ein al-Hanash and al-Humeimiyeh.

The army men also prevailed over ISIL's defense lines in the village of Rasm al-Harmal and won control of a part of the village after hours of heavy fighting with terrorists.

Deir Ezzur

Syrian Army troops, backed up by the country's warplanes, conducted heavy strikes on ISIL's positions and movements near Deir Ezzur city, killing at least 15 terrorists and wounding tens of others.

The army's artillery and missile units targeted ISIL's concentration centers and movements near al-Tamin brigade, Raqqa bridge, Northwest of Tal (hill) Brouk and the neighborhood of al-Jabiliyeh, killing over 15 and wounding tens of others.

Army reports said ISIL's military vehicles also sustained major damage in the attacks, adding that the army aircraft played a crucial role in hitting ISIL's centers.

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