Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Terrorists Sustain Heavy Losses in Army Offensive in Damascus Countryside

Rasa - The Syrian army attacked the terrorists in Damascus countryside, and inflicted heavy losses on them.

News ID: 429156

Date: 23 April 2017 - 23:50

RNA - The Syrian army killed and wounded scores of terrorists in Eastern Ghouta in Damascus countryside. The army also inflicted heavy losses on the terrorist groups in other key regions across Syria.

Damascus

Local sources confirmed that the Syrian Army troops continued to hit the positions of Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in Eastern Ghouta and drove the terrorists out of an important position in al-Qaboun district.

The sources reported that the army units engaged in clashes with Al-Nusra in al-Qaboun district in Eastern Ghouta and retook full control over al-Hossein Grand Mosque and its surroundings positions along the road towards the power company.

The sources also said that the Al-Nusra militants had to retreat from their lines of defense near the mosque under the heavy attack of the army soldiers.

Reports said earlier on Saturday that he army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with Jeish al-Islam and managed to enter the settlement of Hawsh al-Salehiyeh.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units pounded terrorists' positions and tunnels in the gardens near the towns of Douma and Harasta.

Also, one of the command posts and several positions of Al-Nusra in al-Qaboun district in Northeastern Damascus were targeted by the artillery and missile units.

Raqqa

The predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued the fourth phase of the Euphrates Rage Operations against ISIL and managed to capture four more farms and settlements North of Raqqa after killing nearly 50 militants, including a senior commander.

The SDF started a fresh round of operations to capture Wadi (desert) al-Jalab plain and engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL.

The Kurdish fighters further advanced against ISIL and captured the settlements of Tishrin and Hazimeh and Tishrin and Hokoumiyeh (governmental) farms North of Raqqa.

At least 49 ISIL members, including a notorious commander were killed in the SDF operation.

Aleppo

The Syrian army troops alongside Liwa Al-Quds launched a large-scale operation in the Western countryside of Aleppo, targeting the terrorist groups' positions near the al-Zahra Association Quarter.

The Syrian pro-government forces stormed the hilltop of Tal Mukhalil near the al-Zahra Quarter, engaging in bloody battle with a large number of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces.

The Syrian army soldiers also attacked the Al-Kharbah region in Western Aleppo.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units targeted terrorists' concentration centers in al-Rashedeen district and al-Mansoureh settlement in the Southwestern and Western outskirts of Aleppo city.

Also, terrorists' gathering centers in the village of al-Ziyareh South of Aleppo city were hit hard by the artillery and missile units.

Local sources reported meanwhile that the Russian fighter jets carried out several combat sorties over terrorists' positions in the towns, settlements and villages of al-Artab, Orum al-Kobra, Kafr Naha, al-Mansoureh, Khan al-Assal, Qabtan al-Jabal, Einajareh, Hour, al-Tawameh and Tal al-Karameh in Western Aleppo.

The sources added that the Syrian warplanes pounded terrorists' strongholds in the town of Dar al-Izzah.

Hama

The Syrian Army forces continued their attacks on the defense lines of Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) near the newly-liberated town of Taybat al-Imam and won back several key positions in the region.

The army soldiers engaged in a fresh round of clashes with Al-Nusra North of Taybat al-Imam and captured Tal (hill) al-Mantar and al-Madajen checkpost.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Forces carried out several combat flights over terrorists' positions in the towns of Halfaya, al-Zalaqiyat and al-Zawar in Northern Hama, killing a number of terrorists.

Reports said earlier on Saturday that hundreds of terrorists of Al-Nusra Front including Saudi and Turkish commanders, have been killed or wounded in the Syrian Army troops' operations in Northern Hama, an informed military source said.

The source reported that the army's advances in Northern Hama and liberation of the town of Taybat al-Imam and its surrounding regions have inflicted hundreds of casualties on Al-Nusra, adding a Saudi commander nom de guerre Abu Qadamah and a number of Saudi and Turkish fighters are among the killed Al-Nusra terrorists.

The source went on to say that two ammunition depots, a BMP vehicles, over 70 vehicles some of them machinegun-equipped, were destroyed in the army operation.

In the meantime, several terrorists were captured and a large volume of arms and munitions, including a tank, 14 cannons and four rocket launchers were seized by the army men.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops repelled ISIL's offensive on their positions in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, and managed to fend off the terrorist group's attack, killing five militants and wounding several more.

ISIL's military hardware and weapons also sustained major damage in the failed attack.

847/940