Syria in Past 24 Hours:

US-Led Coalition Airstrikes Kill 14 Civilians in Raqqa

Rasa - 14 civilians, including five members of a family, were killed in the US-led coalition air raids in the cities of Raqqa and al-Tabaqa.

News ID: 429372

Date: 01 May 2017 - 21:12

RNA - 14 civilians, including five members of a family, were killed in the US-led coalition air raids in the cities of Raqqa and al-Tabaqa.

Raqqa

The Syrian TV reported that 8 civilians, including five members of a family, were killed in the US-led coalition warplanes' attacks on two neighborhoods of al-Mansoureh and al-Wahab in al-Tabaqa.

In the meantime, six more civilians were killed in the fighter jets' raid on Raqqa city, the TV report added.

Reports also said that five civilians were killed and several more were wounded in the coalition warplanes' attacks on the village of al-Sweidiyeh Kabirh in Western Raqqa in the recent days.

Also in the past 24 hours, the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued the anti-ISIL Euphrates Rage Operation in Western Raqqa and managed to drive the terrorists out of six more neighborhoods in al-Tabaqa city, inflicting several casualties on the terrorists.

The SDF fighters engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL in al-Tabaqa city and took full control over the neighborhoods of al-Mahaj, Abu Eish, Assyrian church, al-Kasarah and al-Mashar.

In the meantime, 14 ISIL terrorists were killed in several cases of sporadic clashes between the Kurdish fighters and the ISIL in Central part of al-Tabaqa.

Homs

Local sources confirmed that a sum of 350 gunmen and their family members have left al-Wa'er district for the militant-held regions in the Northwestern province of Idlib within the framework of the 7th phase of the evacuation deal in the district.

The sources said that 100 gunmen, mainly from Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board), and 250 of their family members left al-Wa'er district for Idlib on 8 buses under the supervision of the Russian monitoring troops.

Also, Homs Governor General Talal al-Barazi said that 1,800 people, including 400 gunmen, are to leave al-Wa'er for Idlib in the seventh phase of the evacuation deal.

Also on Sunday, the Syrian Army troops' continued advances in Eastern Homs forced the ISIL to start pulling forces back from more territories, leaving behind a number of dead members and destroyed equipment.

The army soldiers engaged in a fresh round of clashes with ISIL in energy-rich regions in Eastern Homs and captured al-Sha'er communication station, al-Sha'er factory, Qara al-Baak region, Thaniyat al-Raz mount, Wells 103, 108,110 and 112 near the main well, 105, in al-Sha'er oilfield.

Tens of ISIL militants were killed and tens of their vehicles were damaged in the attacks.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army forces continued to beat ISIL back from more positions in Eastern Homs, taking control over five more villages and two strategic hills.

The army soldiers stormed ISIL's defense lines and drove the terrorists back from the villages of al-Tadmuriyeh, Jubab Hamd, Rajm al-Qasr, Rajm al-Darqam, al-Rajm al-Aali and al-Rajm al-Madareji.

The army units further took control of the hills of al-Rarkas and al-Elam that overlook the villages of Um al-Sahrij and al-Moshayrifeh al-Janoubi.

A local source said that ISIL suffered heavy casualties in the attack, adding the army soldiers continue their advances in the region.

Military sources confirmed on Sunday that the Syrian Army troops are only a kilometer away before they can shake hands in regions just to the West of al-Qaboun district and lay siege on two main terrorist bastions.

The sources said that recent advances of the government forces in the Eastern part of al-Qaboun district have enabled the army men to almost encircle the militants in the Western direction of al-Qaboun, and complete the siege on terrorist-held region in al-Qaboun district from the North and Tishrin district from the South.

The sources pointed out that the siege of the terrorists in al-Qaboun and Tishrin means that militants' continued battle would amount to mass suicide as all their routes to the outside world have now been cut off.

They underlined that withdrawal of forces from al-Qaboun and Tishrin whose tunnels have been mostly destroyed in the army attack will also be very dangerous for the militants.

Base on field reports, the army units plan to continue their advances from South to the South-East towards Abdul Qani Bajeqni school which is the largest and the most important base of al-Nusra in the Eastern countryside of Damascus.

Also on Sunday, the Syrian Army troops launched a fresh round of attacks on the defense lines of ISIL and al-Nusra Front in Eastern and Northern Homs, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with Al-Nusra in a region close to the settlements of Keisin and Borj Qa'ei in Northern Homs, killing and wounding a number of them and destroying their arms and ammunition.

In the meantime, the army's artillery shelled Al-Nusra's concentration centers of Al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham in the towns of al-Tibeh, Kafr Laha and along the road connecting Keisin to al-Qajar, inflicting several casualties on the militants.

Meantime, a military source reported that the army forces launched large-scale operation against ISIL's strongholds in al-Shomeriyeh mountain and Aqayrabat region in Eastern Homs.

Also in the past 24 hours, a group of Syrian-Lebanese popular forces called Dar'a al-Watan (Country's Shield) launched a heavy attack on ISIL's defense lines near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) in Eastern Homs and managed to seize control over a number of positions, Arab media reported.

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news reported that the Syrian-Lebanese popular forces of "The Country's Shield" attacked ISIL's positions Northeast of Palmyra from three directions and drove the terrorists out of the strategic hill of al-San and its surrounding areas in al-Kasarat region.

Al-Hadath quoted a military sources as saying that there are a number of natural caves and tunnels near the al-San hill that have been used by ISIL as a shelter during the Syrian and Russian fighter jets' raids.

Al-Hadath further added that forces of the Country's Shield have been operating at Syria-Lebanon borders with the back up of the Russian and Syrian warplanes, but now they have moved further to the East to operate in Palmyra.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army forces continued battle against ISIL in different regions inside Deir Ezzur and in the Southern outskirts of the city and managed to repel the terrorist group's offensives, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

The army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with the ISIL and fended off the terrorists' heavy attacks on the pro-government forces' positions in al-Roshdiyeh neighborhood, South of al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, the Deir Ezzur's airbase and Regiment 137 base, killing and wounding tens of terrorists and destroying their weapons and equipment.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units targeted ISIL positions and movements in al-Maqaber and in al-Ma'amel region near Tamin Brigade base, killing 17 terrorists and destroying a military vehicle and a cannon.

The artillery units also shelled the position of a group of ISIL terrorists South of Regiment 137 base, killing most of the militants.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army's artillery and missile units, tipped off by intelligence agents, opened heavy fire at a large gathering of ISIL terrorists on the banks of the Euphrates river, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists and foiling their plan to attack the army strongholds.

The artillery and missile units shelled the concentration centers of ISIL terrorists that were planning to prevail over the army positions near the Euphrates river that goes through the Deir Ezzur city, killing 12 terrorists and destroying a military vehicle.

In the meantime, the artillery and missile units targeted ISIL's positions and movements in Panorama army base West of Deir Ezzur, killing seven terrorists and destroying a military vehicle and three of their positions.

Local sources said that the army men, meantime, destroyed an ISIL tunnel in al-Sina'ah region near al-Makateb region, killing the entire terrorists inside and also killing any chance for the terrorists to move their bomb-laden vehicles to the region via the tunnel.

The Syrian Air Force also carried out repeated air attacks on ISIL's positions on Hill 17, Hill Aloush, Mount al-Thardah, the power company, al-Mohandeseen and Jonayd division regions South of Deir Ezzur city.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army troops fended of a massive offensive of ISIL on pro-government forces' positions near two villages Northeast of the town of Khanasser, inflicting major casualties on the militants.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists that had attacked their strongholds near the villages of Um Mayal and Sardah Northeast of the town of Khanasser and managed to repelled the terrorists' assault.

The ISIL lost a large number of fighters and its military vehicles also sustained major damage in the failed attack.

The army soldiers also captured a number of ISIL terrorists.

Damascus

Local sources in Eastern Ghouta reported that terrorist groups have been hitting each others' positions as the Syrian Army troops have continued their operation to liberate the rest of the militant-held regions in Damascus province.

The sources said that Jeish al-Islam stormed the positions of a rival terrorist group and won control over the only passageway to al-Qaboun district.

In the meantime, Spokesman for Faylaq al-Rahman group Wa'el Alwan confirmed that his forces' movements and route to al-Qaboun have been cut off after Jeish al-Islam took control over the road connecting Eastern Ghouta and al-Qaboun.

Reports also said that Jeish al-Islam tries to attack Fayalq al-Rahman's defense lines in the town of Jisrin from the direction of the village of al-Mohammadiyeh in Eastern Ghouta.

Reports also added that Jeish al-Islam engaged in fierce clashes with Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board) and seized their main positions in the towns of Arbin and al-Ash'ari region in Eastern Ghouta, including their main command post and administrative centers.

Jeish al-Islam gave a 24-hour-long ultimatum to the family members of Tahrir al-Sham militants in al-Ash'ari to leave the region.

Dara'a

A command post and a number of military vehicles of the Al-Nusra Front were destroyed under the heavy fire of the Syrian Army's artillery and missile units in the Southern and Eastern parts of Dara'a province.

The artillery and missile units shelled the positions and movements of Al-Nusra in Dara'a al-Balad district in the Southern part of Dara'a city and in the town of al-Na'eimeh in Eastern Dara'a, destroying 8 vehicles and a command post and killing a large number of terrorists.

In the meantime, the artillery units targeted Al-Nusra's movements and concentration centers along a road connecting al-Qariyeh al-Qarbi region to the power plant, killing a number of militants and destroying five vehicles and two positions of the terrorists.

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