Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Over 10 Civilians Killed in US-Led Coalition Airstrikes in Raqqa

Rasa - More civilians were killed and wounded in the US-led coalition air raids in two different regions in Raqqa province.

News ID: 429072

Date: 20 April 2017 - 23:50

RNA - More civilians were killed and wounded in the US-led coalition air raids in two different regions in Raqqa province.

Raqqa

The US-led coalition warplanes bombed the town of Ma'adan in the Eastern countryside of Raqqa city, killing five civilians and wounding three others.

In the meantime, the fighter jets targeted al-Monqiyeh neighborhood in al-Tabaqa city in Western Raqqa, killing two civilians and wounding several others.

Also in the past 24 hours, the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued the fourth phase of the Euphrates Rage Operations against ISIL and managed to capture four more villages North of Raqqa after killing 47 militants.

The SDF engaged in a tough battle with ISIL in Northern Raqqa and seized control of the villages of Um al-Tanak, Beir Jarba, Jarwa and Hatash in Wadi (desert) al-Jalab.

In the meantime, the Kurdish forces repelled ISIL's heavy attacks on SDF's positions in Eskandariyeh district and in regions North and North-West of al-Tabaqa city.

Local sources said that 47 ISIL members, including seven suicide attackers, were killed in the clashes with the SDF.

Homs

The Syrian Army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL West of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and managed to drive the terrorists out of a large dam North of the T4 airbase.

The army soldiers continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Homs and pushed the terrorists back from Abu Qal'ah dam, killing tens of militants and destroying their equipment.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Army troops continued to hit ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Homs, forcing the terrorist group to retreat from vast regions Northeast of Palmyra.

The army soldiers won another battle against ISIL and drove them out of a set of strategic hills near Mount al-Qataar 25km Northeast of Palmyra.

The ISIL suffered a number of casualties and its military hardware and vehicles sustained major damage in the attack.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops started their massive attack on the positions of Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in Northern Hama and managed to open their way into the key town of Taybat al-Imam after daylong clashes.

The army troops started ground operation from several directions after the Syrian Air Force and the army's artillery and missile units pounded Al-Nusra's defense lines in Taybat al-Imam.

The army units, including hundreds of soldiers, managed to enter Taybat al-Imam form the Eastern direction of the newly-freed town of Souran and from the direction of Qamhaneh in the South.

Army commanders confirmed that the army men have entered Taybat al-Imam, adding that their units are now fortifying their positions in the town to drive the Al-Nusra from the remaining neighborhoods in the town in the next few hours.

They added that simultaneous with the army advances in Taybat al-Imam, the Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out several combat sorties over the Al-Nusra positions in the villages and towns of Lahaya, Ma'arkabeh and al-Latamina in Northern Hama, killing and wounding a number of terrorists and destroying their equipment.

Also in the past 24 hours,  the Syrian Army troops engaged in heavy fighting with Al-Nusra Front near a power plant in Southern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army soldiers engaged in a tough battle against the Al-Nusra after the terrorists raided the housings of al-Omaliyeh and several military positions of pro-government forces near al-Zareh power plant from the Eastern direction of the village of Hirbnafsa and South of the power plant.

The army soldiers repelled the Al-Nusra attack, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their military equipment.

Local sources said that the remaining pockets of Al-Nusra Front fled towards Hirbnafsa.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units opened fire at ISIL's movements in Wadi al-Azib region Northeast of the town of al-Salamiyah, destroying a bomb-laden vehicle packed with a large volume of explosives and a military vehicles before they could reach and hit one of the army positions in the region.

Aleppo

A bomb exploded in Aleppo's Salahuddin district on Wednesday, killing six and wounding 32 people.

The number of casualties was provided by the General Organization of Radio and TV news correspondent via social media, who classified the blast as a terrorist bombing.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army forces shot down 2 spy drones flown by the terrorist groups over government-controlled regions in Northern Aleppo, military sources confirmed.

The army troops continued their operations in Northern Aleppo to recapture the strategic town of Anadan and managed to target two surveillance drones of the terrorists in the village of al-Tamoureh.

Field sources in Northern Aleppo reported, meantime, that the army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists in Jabal (mount) Anadan region, while terrorists' positions in the town of Anadan came under heavy fire by the army's artillery and missile units.

They added that the Russian fighter jets also carried out several combat sorties over terrorists' strongholds in the village of Kafr Hamrah and Anadan, killing a number of militants.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops continued to advance against Al-Nusra Front in areas surrounding the town of Anadan, capturing a key hill.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with Al-Nusra in Northern Aleppo and managed to take back control of al-Mo'askar hill that overlooks directly the town of Anadan.

The Al-Nusra suffered heavy casualties in the army attack.

Idlib

Local sources confirmed on Wednesday that a sum of 3,000 civilians have been evacuated from the predominantly Shiite-populated towns of Fua'a and Kafraya to safe regions under the control of the pro-government forces so far.

The sources said that 3,000 civilians have left Fua'a and Kafraya are under the siege of militants in the second phase of an evacuation deal with the government that also includes transfer of thousands of militants and their family members from the four towns in Damascus province that were under the army siege.

The sources added that 45 buses took the civilians away from Fua'a and Kafraya.

In return, the entire gunmen, who refused to join the peace agreement with the Syrian Army, and their family members left the towns of al-Zabadani, Sarqaya and al-Jabal al-Sharqi on 11 buses.

Damascus

Army officers confirmed on Wednesday that security has been restored to six regions in the Western territories of Damascus province after gunmen left for Idlib under a deal with the government.

The army commanders confirmed that all the gunmen, who refused to endorse peace agreement with the Syrian Army, and their family members have left the towns and regions of Madhaya, al-Zabadani, Baqin, Sarqaya, Bloudan and al-Jabal (mount) al-Sharqi, and "security has been restored once again to these regions after their evacuation".

They added that after evacuation of gunmen and their family members security was restored to areas as large as 50 sq/km.

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