Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Destroyer of Palmyra's Ancient Monuments Killed in Homs

Rasa - ISIL commander who destroyed a part of the historic ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra in 2015 was killed by the Syrian army in Eastern Homs.

News ID: 428232

Date: 18 March 2017 - 21:03

RNA - An ISIL commander who destroyed a part of the historic ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra in 2015 was killed by the Syrian army in Eastern Homs.

Homs

The Syrian army troops continued to advance against ISIL in Eastern Homs and managed to push the terrorists back from more territories in the Eastern direction of the newly-liberated city of Palmyra (Tadmur), media source said.

The Arabic language al-Menar news agency reported that the army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and drove them out of al-Mostadireh mountains and the surrounding regions.

Elam al-Harbi news website reported meantime that the army soldiers struck ISIL's defense liens North of Tadmur and liberated 774.8 region after hours of clashes.

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

Also in the past 24 hours, an ISIL commander who destroyed a part of the historic ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra in 2015 was killed in the Syrian Army soldiers' offensive in Eastern Homs, local sources said.

The sources reported that Abu Hamid al-Sukhni, a commander of ISIL who was featured by the terrorist group's outlets as destroying ancient UNESCO sites back in 2015 when the terror group overran the ancient city, was killed in clashes with the army men in the desert of Eastern Homs.

The ISIL chief originated from al-Sukhnah, a town on the highway between Palmyra and Deir Ezzur.

He reportedly commanded an ISIL battalion personally.

Military sources said on Friday that the Syrian Army troops have been engaged in tough battle with ISIL terrorists since Thursday to drive terrorists out of a key crossroad East of the newly-liberated city of Palmyra.

The sources said that the army units launched a powerful assault on ISIL's positions in al-Talilah crossroad in the Eastern direction of Palmyra.

They added that the army men faced a large number of ISIL fighters that recently retreated from the Palmyra Grain Silos.

The sources went on to say that the army is expected to take control of this site in the coming days, as the ISIL continues to retreat further into the Syrian Desert.

The Syrian Army forces targeted the positions of Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) in Northern Homs, destroying several military vehicles and killing or injuring their crew.

The army's artillery units opened heavy fire at the positions and movements of Al-Nusra in Hawsh Hadhad and Hawsh Shamsi East of Talbiseh town, destroying at least five vehicles and killing or wounding their crew.

Reports said earlier this week that the army soldiers hit ISIL's positions in al-Bardeh region in Eastern Homs, killing a number of militants and damaging their weapons and equipment.

The army units meantime pounded the gatherings and positions of Al-Nusra Front in the villages of Jowalak, Hawsh al-Zabadi, al-Hazowri, al-Bayki and East of al-Qajar village in al-Rastan region, destroying a command post, arms and ammunition and killing a number of terrorists.

The Syrian Army troops continued their anti-ISIL operations in the Eastern suburbs of Palmyra to stretch their chain of security around the ancient city, informed sources said.

The sources said that the army spent a great deal of time this week to attack the ISIL's positions around the newly-liberated ancient city of Palmyra, expanding their buffer-zone around the city via forcing ISIL to withdraw from several positions in order to reinforce important regions, including Arak gas fields and T-3 Pumping Station.

They added that the army soldiers liberated several sites from the terrorist group, including the strategic Mazar mountains and Palmyra gas fields North of the city.

The army men also launched another powerful attack this morning that concentrated on the al-Talilah crossroad and al-Antar Mountains at two different fronts.

Al-Talilah crossroad is located in Palmyra’s Eastern countryside, while the al-Antar mountains are in the North of the city.

Raqqa

The predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued to storm the ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Raqqa, taking control over more positions near the Raqqa-Deir Ezzur Highway.

The SDF combatants struck heavily ISIL's positions and seized control over Ahmad Assad Silos located some 40km East of Raqqa city after hours of clashing.

ISIL lost a number of fighters and its military hardware sustained major damage in the attack.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported on Wednesday that the SDF forces in the third phase of the Euphrates Rage Operation from the two fronts of Abu Khasab and Beir al-Haba managed to take control of 16 villages in Eastern Raqqa and Northwestern Deir Ezzur, including Jubb al-Khalil, al-Homeish, al-Safar, Hashwa Hal Manasereh, Reza, Beir Amo Hossein, Rafi'eh, Koubar, Jazreh, Abdul Matni, Mohammad al-Ayash, al-Kaja and Khas.

Hawar news said that the SDF fighters advanced 62km in Eastern Raqqa in 10 days.

The SDF also seized control over Manakher Qarbi and Manakher Sharqi in Eastern Raqqa, purging the region of ISIL.

The ISIL terrorist group has started fortifying its defense lines around the Syrian city of Raqqa amid rapid advances of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the province, media sources reported.

The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted witnesses and informed sources as saying that the ISIL terrorists started to construct more positions around Raqqa city, including anti-tank trenches, while its engineering units launched mining underground tunnels.

The terrorists have also forced residents of local villages into the city in order to use them as a "human shield," the newspaper said.

Aleppo

Over 100 civilians were killed and wounded in the US warplanes' air raid on a mosque in a village in Northwestern Syria, local sources said.

The sources said that at least 57 Syrians were killed after an American airstrike on a mosque in the terrorist-held village of al-Jinah at the border between Idlib and Aleppo provinces on Thursday evening.

They added that 90 more were injured and the death toll is expected to rise.

Another report put the death toll at around 75.

Some 300 people, mostly civilians, were in the al-Jinah mosque as it was abruptly hit during prayers time by an airstrike, burying many beneath the rubble.

The Syrian Army troops continued their advances against ISIL South of the terrorist-held town of Deir Hafer and managed to retake control over two villages after hours of fierce clashes on Friday.

The army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL and drove them out of Zubaydeh and Khasaf villages South of Deir Hafer town, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

Deir Ezzur

ISIL suffered a number of casualties and its military equipment sustained major damage in the Syrian army soldiers' attacks in the Southern and Southwestern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, sources in Eastern Syria said.

The sources said that the army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL South of Brigade 137th garrison Southwest of Deir Ezzur city, destroying three barricades and killing or wounding a number of terrorists.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units shelled heavily ISIL's movements and positions in areas surrounding Deir Ezzur's airbase, al-Thardah mountain, al-Makbat region and Tal (hill) Aloush, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists.

Also, the Syrian air force and army launched heavy strikes on ISIL positions and moves near Deir Ezzur city on Thursday, destroying several oil tankers and bases of the terrorists and killing tens of them.

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