Syria in Past 24 Hours: Army Recaptures Over 1,200km of Lands in Homs

Rasa - The Syrian Army troops regained control over 1,200sq/km of territories from Eastern Qalamoun to regions South of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) in their recent round of anti-ISIL operations in Central Syria.

News ID: 429883

Date: 25 May 2017 - 23:47

RNA - The Syrian Army troops regained control over 1,200sq/km of territories from Eastern Qalamoun to regions South of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) in their recent round of anti-ISIL operations in Central Syria.

Homs

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network reported that the army soldiers' recent large-scale operation in Southern Homs has pushed ISIL back from 1,200 sq/km of territories, ending in the liberation of a large number of villages and hills.

Al-Mayadeen added that the army men also recaptured the region of al-Bardah and Jabal (mount) al-Bardah.

Tens of ISIL fighters were killed or wounded, al large number of militants fled the battlefield and a number of them were captured in the army operation, the news network said.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops engaged in several clashes with ISIL and fended off their offensives on the pro-government forces' positions in Eastern Homs, killing almost 30 terrorists and wounding tens of others.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL that tried hard in several attacks from the village of Um Sahrij to prevail over the pro-government forces' defense lines in al-Hawa hill in Eastern Homs, warding off the attacks.

Also, the army positions along the road between Abu Alayah, Khattab, Jubb al-Jarrah and Al-Barqouthyah came under heavy fire of the Takfiri terrorists.

The army units killed almost 30 terrorists and destroyed over five of their military vehicles in almost 10 hours of defense.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at ISIL's positions and movements in Mount al-Mastadireh, Mount al-Bardah, the villages of Manoukh, Habreh al-Qarbi, Jabab Hams and al-Moshayrefeh al-Janoubi hills, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian government granted amnesty to over 150 militants that had laid down their weapons and applied for pardoning in Northern Homs, local officials confirmed.

The officials said that in line with reinvigorating the peace plan in Northern Homs, 155 militants that had handed over their arms to the Syrian Army received government amnesty in the towns of Talbiseh, al-Rastan, al-Houleh and some districts of Homs city.

Also in the past 24 hours, a Syrian daily reported that a large number of the US-led coalition soldiers have arrived in al-Tanf border-crossing in Southern Homs to launch military operations in Deir Ezzur.

The Syrian al-Watan daily quoted one of the commanders of the Iraqi popular forces of Hashd al-Shaabi as saying that a large number of German, British, Czech, Norwegian and Dutch soldiers of the US-led coalition have been deployed at-Tanf border region to launch an operation to capture the town of Albu Kamal and Deir Ezzur city.

The daily added that a sum of 100 US soldiers had previously been deployed in the region to support military groups.

Field sources reported on Wednesday that the Syrian Army troops have opened sixth fronts in Badiyeh (desert) to launch massive operation against ISIL and the US-backed militants in the central, Eastern and Southern parts of the country.

The sources said that the first front of the army is along the Palmyra road to al-Sukhnah and spreads towards Deir Ezzur to lift ISIL's siege on the city and airbase in the Eastern province.

In the second front the army soldiers are to move from Palmyra towards South to cut off ISIL's supply lines between Syria's Badiyeh and Eastern Qalamoun region.

The third front has been opened by the army from al-Seen airport towards al-Tanf border-crossing at the country's border with Iraq.

The fourth front stretches from Northern Sweida towards Syria's Badiyeh, while the fifth front expands from North of Palmyra towards East to end ISIL's presence along the road connecting the town of al-Salamiyah in Hama to the town of Khanasser in Aleppo.

According to the same sources, the army men have also deployed in a sixth front and launched their operation from the town of al-Quaryatayn in Homs Eastwards.

The army's operations in all these six fronts are backed up by the Russian aerial support while a large number of Iraqi and Syrian popular forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah are also present in the army operations.

The sources also underlined that the army's main objective in all these fronts is mainly weakening ISIL's defense capability via engaging them in different battlefronts across the vast Badiyeh region to enable the army and its allies to take back control over larger areas.

Aleppo

The Syrian state news agency reported that over 3,000 ISIL terrorists have been killed or wounded in the Syrian Army troops' operations in Eastern Aleppo that have resulted in the liberation of 32 key regions, including Jarah airbase.

SANA reported that 3,000 ISIL terrorists have been killed or wounded in the fresh round of the army operation in Aleppo, adding that 19 tanks, five BMP vehicles, 11 bomb-laden vehicles, six cannons, nine arms and ammunition depots, two communication and operation rooms and 61 field command posts of the ISIL were also destroyed in the operations.

The state agency added that 13 emirs and senior commanders, including ISIL's War Minister Abu Mos'ab Mesri, ISIL's Emir of borders Abdul Rahman Mataveh al-Dakhil from Saudi Arabia, ISIL's Hasaba (security and monitoring) Emir Abu Abdullah Mohammad Samih al-Kasri from Saudi Arabia, ISIL's top commander Mahmoud Adnan al-Ajam, ISIL's security Emir Abu Ahmad al-Kafir al-Abaji and ISIL's field commander Ali Nazal Qara Bash are among the ISIL terrorists killed in the army operation.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops continued to hit ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Aleppo and took back control over 10 more villages in several hours of non-stop clashes.

The army soldiers engaged in tough battle with ISIL and drove them out of the villages of al-Bilouneh, Bani Zeid, Daroubiyeh, al-Sameriyeh, Latheh, al-Naseriyeh, al-Naseriyeh train station, Mohseneh al-Khafseh, Rasm al-Kaywan and al-Masoudiyeh.

The ISIL lost tens of fighters in the attacks.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army troops repelled ISIL's large-scale assault to cut off the only supply line of the Syrian army to the Northern parts of Aleppo province.

The army engaged in a tough battle with ISIL in Maraqeh region in Southeastern Aleppo along the road that connects the town of Ithriya in Hama province to the town of Khanasser in Aleppo province and fended off the terrorists' attack.

A well-informed source said that sporadic clashes are still underway in Maraqeh region, but the Ithriya-Khanasser road is safe and under the full control of the Syrian army.

Reports said on Wednesday that the countdown has started for the collapse of ISIL terrorist group in entire Aleppo province as terrorists are losing ground to invading Syrian army and popular forces.

The army units continued to push back the ISIL terrorist group from the Eastern part Aleppo province with rapid advances toward Maskana plain, recapturing more lands.

Military sources in Northern Syria reported that the army, backed up by the country's Air Force, has continued its advances against ISIL and has now reached positions only seven kilometers away from ISIL-held town of Maskana.

The sources added that the army soldiers have pushed ISIL back from the villages of al-Mazran, al-Kanaviyeh, Rasm al-Homam al-Qarbi, Mohseneh and al-Jamileh after hours of non-stop clashes.

Informed sources disclosed on Wednesday that ISIL has sent hundreds of terrorists and a large volume of military equipment to Eastern Aleppo to face the Syrian Army troops' devastating advances in the region.

The sources said that while the army troops are advancing rapidly toward the last positions of ISIL in Aleppo province and have recaptured tens of villages and towns and have killed hundreds of terrorists, the ISIL has started sending hundreds of fresh fighters and more military equipment to Eastern Aleppo, specially to Maskana plain, to reinvigorate its front against the army advances.

In the meantime, the ISIL-affiliated Amaq news agency released photos showing that the group has deployed tanks, BMP vehicles and scores of militants in Eastern Aleppo to bring the army's rapid advances to a halt.

Based on field reports, the army units are only 10km away from the town of Maskana, adding that should the ISIL withdraw from the town, its presence in the province will come to an end, and the army will be on the verge of entering Raqqa province.

Other sources reported that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces continued their advances against ISIL after driving them out of al-Tabaqa city.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by the country's Air Force, launched a fresh round of attacks on ISIL's gathering centers and defense liens in Eastern Hama, inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists.

The army aircraft targeted ISIL's concentration centers several times in Aqayrabat region.

Field sources said that the warplanes bombed ISIL's positons in the villages of Abu Habilat, Qalib al-Thowr and around the village of Aqarib, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their military hardware.

The army's missile units, meantime, carried out monitoring operation and then shelled ISIL's defense lines in Salem 7 position South of the village of Aqarib, killing several terrorists and destroying two of their vehicles.

Other units of the army carried out an ambush operation against a group of ISIL terrorists in Wadi al-Azib region along the road connecting the town of al-Salamiyah to the town of Ithriya, killing a large number of the group members and destroying five motorcycles and a large volume of munitions.

Raqqa

The predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have continued the fourth phase of the anti-ISIL Euphrates Rage Operation in Western Raqqa and are now completing siege of al-Ba'ath (al-Horiyeh) dam, local sources confirmed Wednesday.

"The SDF fighters engaged in a tough battle with ISIL and took control over the villages of al-Khatouniyeh, Kar Ali, Balaneh, al-Forqan and al-Yamameh five kilometers Northwest of al-Ba'ath dam," the sources said, adding that with the new advances, the Kurdish fighters are now sealing the entire paths to the ISIL-held dam.

In the meantime, the SDF engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in Eastern Raqqa and seized control over the villages of Hamra Nasser and Hamra Balasem.

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