Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Al-Nusra Withdraws Militants from Vast Areas of Eastern Damascus

Rasa - 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) in Eastern Ghouta and managed to drive them out of more positions in al-Qaboun district.

News ID: 429274

Date: 27 April 2017 - 22:23

RNA - 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) in Eastern Ghouta and managed to drive them out of more positions in al-Qaboun district.

Damascus

The army soldiers continued battle against Al-Nusra in the Eastern direction of al-Qaboun that lasted for several hours, and seized control over the Kuwaiti building and power company.

The army men then moved further to advance in the region to imposed control over other nearby buildings.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units pounded al-Nusra's positions in al-Qaboun and al-Barzeh farm.

A military source in Eastern Ghouta said that the terrorist front in al-Qaboun has completely collapsed, addling that tens of al-Nusra have been killed in the army attacks and several others have been captured by the army men.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops continued their operation in Eastern Ghouta to enhance sustainable security at military airports in the region.

Military sources said that the army units engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists in the Eastern and Northern parts of the province and managed to advance around 6km into the depth of Badiyeh (desert) al-Sham, taking control over an area as large as 20sq/km.

They added that the army soldiers started their operation from their positions in Tishrin power plant near al-Seen military airport.

The sources underlined that the army is now trying hard to restore sustainable security to al-Dhamir and al-Seen airbases.

Reports said on Monday that the army men engaged in fierce clashes with terrorists in al-Qaboun district and managed to drive them out of 40 residential complexes.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army troops stormed terrorists' positions and gained control over the entire tunnels connecting the Eastern countryside of Damascus to Eastern Ghouta.

The army soldiers continued to beat back terrorists from more positions in Eastern Damascus and imposed full control over vast areas of gardens spreading from al-Barzeh farms to al-Qaboun district and then to Western Harasta and Dhahiyah al-Assad regions.

Local sources confirmed that the army's advances in al-Qaboun have put an end to all terrorist activities via their main tunnels, adding that there are only a few number of tunnels left for the terrorists to transfer forces and dispatch equipment.

The sources added that the terrorist groups that are scared of the army's continued assault in al-Qaboun and face a shortage of food supplies in Eastern Ghouta have taken away all medical equipment and food stuff from Bazaars and stored them in warehouses in the towns of Arbin, Zmelka, Mesraba and Douma.

Hama

The Syrian Army soldiers started a fresh round of anti-terrorism operation to liberate the town of al-Latamina, the last bastion of Al-Nusra Front in Northern Hama.

Army sources said that the operation kicked off with heavy raids of the Russian and Syrian fighter jets against Al-Nusra positions in al-Latamina, adding that the ground troops later stormed Al-Nusra's defense lines from several directions and engaged in clashes with them.

Another military source reported that tens of Al-Nusra terrorists have been killed or wounded and their military equipment also have sustained major damage in the operation, adding that the army has thus far liberated 66 hills, villages, settlements and towns in it's recent operations in Northern and Western Hama.

Also in the past 24 hours, well-informed sources said that two large coalitions of terrorist groups have formed a new alliance to slow down the Syrian Army troops' devastating advances in Northern Hama.

The sources said that Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board) agreed in a meeting on Tuesday to form a joint operation room to resist against the army's rapid advances in Northern Hama.

They added that based on the agreement the joint operation room - that resembles their alliance under the umbrella coalition of Jeish al-Fatah in Aleppo - will be established along with a united political headquarter and the two sides will cooperate to supply weapons and equipment to each other.

The sources said that Top Commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at Abu Mohammad al-Joulani and his counterpart in Ahrar al-Sham Abu Amar al-Omar were in the meeting and after more than 10 hours of talks they ordered the agreed details to their forces.

Dara'a

The Syrian Army troops engaged in heavy fighting with al-Nusra Front in the Southern and Central neighborhoods of Dara'a city and managed to repel a fresh offensive of the terrorists.

The army soldiers fended off Al-Nusra's heavy attack on government forces' strongholds in al-Manshiyeh neighborhood, killing tens of terrorists and destroying their military hardware.

Local sources confirmed that the remaining pockets of Al-Nusra invaders fled the battlefield under the heavy fire of the army men.

The sources further said that the army's artillery and missile units pounded al-Nusra's movements and positions in the neighborhoods of al-Karak, al-Arbaeen, Tariq al-Saad (way to dam), Harah al-Badou, Harah al-Bajabjah and Harah al-Hamadeen in Dara'a city, killing a number of militants and destroying three military vehicles and a missile launching position.

Also in the past 24 hours, local sources in Southern Syria said that Spokesman of Ahrar al-Sham terrorist group Osama Nasrullah al-Sharif has been killed in Syrian airstrikes.

The sources said that Osama Nasrullah al-Shrif, nom de guerre Abu Zeid, was the spokesman of Ahrar al-Sham who was killed in the Syrian fighter jets' raid on the terrorist group's positons in Nasib region in Southeastern Dara'a.

Homs

The Syrian army's artillery and missile units along with the country's Air Force continued to hit hard the positions of ISIL in Eastern Homs and Al-Nusra Front in Northern and Northwestern parts of the province, inflicting tens of casualties on the terrorists.

The warplanes carried out several combat flights over ISIL's positions and movements in the regions of Um al-Raman, Fat'hat al-Mahasah, Ibn Arsan mount, East of the city of Palmyra (Tadmur), al-Bardeh and East of the town of al-Quaryatayn in Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Homs, killing a number of terrorists, including several non-Syrians.

A large volume of ISIL's arms, ammunition and military hardware were damaged in the air raids.

In the meantime, the artillery and missile units shelled the positons of Al-Nusra in the towns and villages of Talbiseh, East of al-Rastan, al-Za'afaraneh, Taldou, al-Tibeh al-Qarbi, Kafr Laha and Aqrab in Northern and Northwestern Homs, destroying terrorists' positions and command posts and killing several militant commanders.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army continued operations in the Eastern parts of Homs province, and extended the range of its advances in regions near the ancient city of Palmyra.

The Syrian army units engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists in Badiyeh (desert) of Palmyra South of the city and regained control over vast areas near al-Abtar mountain after killing several ISIL members.

Meantime, the Syrian air force pounded ISIL's positions and moves in areas near the wheat silos and al-Sukhneh region, destroying a number of military vehicles and inflicting losses on the terrorists.

Also, the army's artillery units targeted the ISIL bases in al-Sawame' (wheat silos) region, smashing 3 military vehicles.

Deir Ezzur

A number of ISIL terrorists were killed and several more were wounded in the Syrian Army's artillery and missile attacks in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city.

The artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at ISIL's positions and movements in al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, the neighborhood of al-Ma'amel and regiment 137 base region, killing 21 terrorists and wounding several more.

Several military vehicles of the militants were also destroyed in the attack.

Also in the past 24 hours, a local source in Eastern Syria said that six more ISIL members have been killed by unknown raiders in Deir Ezzur.

The source said that a number of unknown gunmen opened fire at a group of ISIL terrorists at the power company near al-Ma'amel square at the Northern entrance of Deir Ezzur city on Tuesday at night, killing six terrorists and wounding several more as they were going to an ISIL positons in the region.

The source said that the attack occurred only two days after a similar incident in Deir Ezzur, adding that after the attack, the ISIL terrorists stormed the region and residential buildings and arrested a number of men and youths.

Reports say almost 75 percent of ISIL members have been killed in air and ground operations in Iraq and Syria, decreasing the total number of the terrorist group's members from 60,000 to 12,000 up to 15,000.

The reports further said that after the killing of ISIL terrorists the group's female fighters have played a crucial role in terrorist operations, specially suicide ones, adding the total number of ISIL's female fighters stands at 500, mostly form the Europe.

Also on Wednesday, a senior commander of the ISIL terrorist group who had plotted to flee from Deir Ezzur with a large amount of cash was captured by his comrades.

News websites affiliated to the dissidents reported that Abu Zainab al-Koraiwili, an Iraqi national who carried out financial affairs for the terrorist group, intended to escape from the ISIL-held areas in Deir Ezzur to Badiyeh region but he was arrested by ISIL guards.

Al-Koraiwili is a senior commander and a close aide to ISIL ringleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Aleppo

Local sources said that several Ankara-backed militants were killed and several more were wounded in a fresh round of clashes with the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Northern Aleppo.

The sources said that 15 Turkey-backed militants were killed or wounded in clashes with SDF in villages in the regions of al-Shahba and Afrin in Northern Aleppo.

The militants had kicked off a fresh round of attacks on the villages of al-Shahba region and their artillery units had shelled SDF positions in the villages of al-Vahshiyeh, Tal Madhiq, al-Shahba dam, Qolsarouj and al-Samouqeh.

In the second round of their attack, the Ankara-backed militants' artillery units targeted the villages of al-Vahshiyeh, al-Shahba dam, al-Sha'aleh, Tal Jihan, al-Hiseh, Tal Madhiq, Harbal, Tal Rifat, Sheikh Issa, al-Vardiyeh, Hasajak, Ein Daqneh and Ming.

The Kurdish fighters engaged in heavy fighting with the Ankara-backed militants and repelled their attack in al-Shahba dam, killing four militants and wounding 11 more in clashes al-Hiseh and al-Samouqeh villages.

The sources further added that 20 Kurdish fighters were killed in the Turkish fighter jets' raid on Jabal (mount) Qarjou in Diarbakr region and Shinkal.

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