Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Terrorists Sustain Heavy Losses in Army Offensives Near Ancient Palmyra City

Rasa - The Syrian army inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists by hitting their military positions in the vicinity of the ancient city of Palmyra in the Eastern part of Homs province.

News ID: 427743

Date: 28 February 2017 - 21:21

RNA - The terrorists were pushed back from their strongholds near Palmyra city in Homs province.

Scores of terrorists were killed and wounded in tough battle with the Syrian government forces.

The Syrian army and popular forces also continued their military gains in other key provinces across Syria.

Homs

The Syrian Army troops continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Homs and deployed troops at strategic heights overlooking an entrance to the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur).

The army soldiers continued to hit ISIL's defense lines West of Palmyra and managed to take control over al-Maqaleh height and the town of al-Tamthil, deploying forces close to Jabal (mount) al-Tar overlooking the ancient city's gateway.

In the meantime, the army men could advance against ISIL from the direction of Mount al-Hayel and captured several hills overlooking the Palmyra Triangle Southwest of the city.

Elsewhere in the same province, the army's artillery units and aircraft pounded the positions of Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) and other terrorist groups in al-Wa'er settlement in the Northwestern countryside of Homs city and in the villages and towns of al-Farhaniyeh, al-Qantou, Deir Foul and Talbiseh in Northern Homs, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Reports said earlier on Monday that the army men struck ISIL's defense lines and won back al-Seyaqah School in al-Bayarat region West of Palmyra after hours of intense battle with the terrorists.

The army soldiers meantime stormed ISIL's positions Northwest of Palmyra and seized full control over al-Maqale al-Rakhamiyeh region (marble stone mines), a road connecting Wadi al-Abyadh dam and Palmyra and the entire territories surrounding al-Maher oilfield.

The army troops also drove ISIL out of Hill 5,939 that is the highest in Hayal Mountains overlooking the Triangle of Palmyra.

The army men further fortified their newly-captured positions in areas surrounding the Palmyra Triangle, al-Seyaqah School, al-Maqale al-Rakhamiyeh and Syriatel hill.

Another military source pointed out that the army's control over the road to Wadi al-Abyadh dam has cut off ISIL's communication lines to Raqqa.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army troops kicked off a fresh round of attacks on the positions of Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) in al-Rashedeen 4 and 5 neighborhoods in the outskirts of, taking control over several building blocks.

The army soldiers re-launched their anti-terrorism offensives in al-Rashedeen 4 and 5 neighborhoods, driving the Al-Nusra out of several residential complexes.

The army men also pushed the Al-Nusra back from several positions where journalists were present to cover the developments, and from the Research Center in the Western outskirts of Aleppo city.

In the meantime and simultaneous with the army advances in the Western and Southwestern outskirts of Aleppo city, the Russian fighter jets targeted the Al-Nusra positions and movements in al-Rashedeen, Journalists' Association area, near Jam'iyat al-Zahra neighborhood, Zahra Abd Rabeh region and the town of al-Yarmoun, inflicting a number of casualties on the terrorists.

Informed source said earlier on Monday that the army men drove terrorist groups out of al-Rashedeen 5 settlement after eight hours of intense battle on Sunday night, but decided to leave the settlement under heavy mortar attacks by the terrorist groups on residential areas in the Southwestern outskirts of Aleppo city.

The terrorist groups deployed in al-Kalariyeh and Khan al-Assal regions shelled the Syrian Army positons and residential areas in al-Rashedeen 5, the sources said, adding the militants also carried out several counterattacks in the battlefield.

They added that the army men moved towards the Eastern parts of al-Rashedeen near South (bazaar) al-Jabas to decrease casualties after they came under massive mortar and artillery fire by militants.

The Al-Nusra Front and its terrorist allies finally could enter al-Rashedeen and deployed their forces in a number of buildings, the sources said.

Settlements and towns in Western Aleppo have rather lengthy border with militant-held regions in Idlib and the terrorist groups can easily access fresh forces and equipment.

A field commander told FNA that terrorists' control over Rashedeen 1 (North Rashedeen) has made it difficult for the army men deployed in Jam'iyat al-Zahra and Research Center neighborhoods in the Western part of Aleppo city to continue their march further to the West.

He further added that continued dispatch of militants in al-Rashedeen 1 by terrorist groups has forced the army men to use their positions in Jam'iyat al-Zahra and Research Center neighborhoods to carry out an operation in the Western countryside of Aleppo to stop the terrorists' heavy mortar attacks on their positions.

Damascus

The Syrian government forces stormed terrorists' positons in al-Qaboun region in Eastern Ghouta and managed to impose control over 90 percent of the farms.

The army men struck the defense lines of Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) in al-Qaboun and Barzeh regions and could drive terrorists out of over 90 percent of al-Qaboun farms, killing tens of militants.

Informed sources in Eastern Damascus said that the army's missile and artillery units targeted Al-Nusra's positions in al-Qaboun simultaneous with the ground forces' advances, destroying terrorists' command posts.

The sources added that terrorist groups in Harasta, al-Qaboun and Tishrin regions in Eastern Damascus breached ceasefire and inflicted heavy damage on public and private properties in the nearby regions, including al-Abasseen, killing also several civilians.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Air Force bombed heavily ISIL's positions and gatherings in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, destroying a main command post of the terrorists and killing a number of them.

The army aircraft pounded ISIL's defense lines in al-Maqaber (cemetery) and Jonayd Division, leaving a number of militants dead or wounded and a command post of them destroyed.

ISIL's military vehicles also sustained major damage in the air raid.

In the meantime, the Syrian Army troops engaged in sporadic clashes with ISIL in al-Maqaber, killing or wounding several terrorists.

Also, the army's artillery units shelled badly ISIL's concentration centers in al-Maqaber, inflicting more casualties on the terrorists.

Also, the warplanes targeted ISIL's concentration centers near al-Thardah mountain in the Southern countryside of Deir Ezzur, the regions of Panorama, al-Maqaber, al-Makbat and Jonayd Division in the Southern outskirts of the city on Sunday, killing and wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their military hardware.

Meantime, local sources said after the recent death of one of the members of ISIL's Hasaba (security and monitoring forces) in the town of Albu Kamal and also death of four other terrorists in the town of al-Mayadeen in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, the terrorists in the region has grown confused and come close to a full collapse.

Dara'a

The Syrian Army soldiers repelled another massive attack of Al-Nusra Front in the Southwestern districts of Dara'a city, killing and wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their equipment.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with Al-Nusra fighters in the neighborhoods of al-Badou, al-Karak, Old Customs and al-Mahjoureh air defense battalion and repelled their attack after inflicting a number of casualties on them.

Three tanks, a machinegun position and three military vehicles of Al-Nusra were destroyed in the failed attack in al-Karak and Northwest of the Old Customs region.

Elsewhere in the same city, the army's artillery and missile units targeted the concentration center of a group of terrorists Southwest of Dhahiyah al-Yarmouk area in Dara'a al-Balad district, killing the entire members of the group and destroying their arms and ammunition.

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