Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Army Recaptures More Oilfields in Raqqa

Rasa - The Syrian army and popular forces continued military operations in Raqqa, seizing back another strategic oilfield in the province.

News ID: 430401

Date: 17 June 2017 - 23:30

RNA - The army units, in cooperation with popular defense groups, established control over al-Habari oilfield in Raqqa province.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Homs and Deir Ezzur, over the past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in Syria's key provinces.

Raqqa

The Syrian army troops continued their advances in Raqqa, and managed to capture a strategic oilfield in the Southwestern part of the province.

"The army units regained control of three oilfields in Raqqa province on Thursday, and they captured al-Habari oilfield on Friday," the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen TV news network reported.

The capture of al-Habari comes as the Syrian army troops took control of al-Thawrah, Sefyan and al-Safih oilfields.

Meantime, the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued their anti-ISIL operation codenamed the Euphrates Rage in Raqqa province and managed to drive terrorists out of a key neighborhood in Raqqa city.

The SDF stormed ISIL's defense lines in East of Raqqa city and took control over al-Sina'ah neighborhood after hours of fierce clashes.

The Kurdish forces had taken control over another part of Eastern Raqqa last week.

Raqqa city has 26 neighborhoods, including Romayleh, al-Rozeh, al-Sina'ah, Hosham Abdul Malek, al-Madineh al-Qadimeh, al-Barid, al-Nehzah, al-Sekeh and Andolos.

The SDF is carrying out its operation against ISIL in Raqqa from six different directions, that includes three flanks in the East, two flanks in the North and another flank in the West.

Homs

The Syrian Army troops continued to advance against the ISIL in Eastern Homs, taking control over more strategic positions and inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists, a military source reported on Friday.

The source said that the army men engaged in a tough battle with ISIL along the road that connects Palmyra city to the town of al-Sukhnah and imposed control over Syriatel towers and MTN tower, adding that fierce clashes are underway between the army soldiers and militants in areas surrounding Ba'ar al-Hafneh and the third station.

In the meantime, the army exchanged fire with terrorists in the town of Aqrab in al-Houleh region, al-Ta'ouneh and Qamas regions.

In the meantime, the Syrian warplanes launched several rounds of combat sorties over ISIL's positions in Mas'adeh, Tal Ayed Hassoun and North of Mount al-Moshayrefeh in Shoumeriyeh mountains.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army's artillery units and Air Force targeted a number of ISIL's positions inside and outside the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur, causing major damage on the terrorists' military hardware.

The artillery units launched heavy shelling on ISIL's gathering centers and positions in Syriatel hill, Panorama base's school, al-Azm villas near Panorama base, the neighborhoods of al-Huweiqa, al-Roshdiyeh, old airport, Tal (hill) Barouk and the village of al-Baqaliyeh.

In the meantime, the fighter jets carried out several combat flights over ISIL's bases and defense liens in Hatleh, Marat, Huweiqa al-Sakar, Panorama base and al-Thardah region, killing and wounding a number of terrorists and setting fire at one of ISIL's command posts in Marat that caused several explosions.

Damascus

The Syrian army and air force continued raiding Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in Southwestern and Southeastern Damascus, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with Al-Nusra in Tal (hill) Marwan North of the village of al-Maqrouseh Southwest of Damascus city.

In the meantime, the army aircraft pounded several times terrorists' positions in Rajm al-Sarikhi region East of Ba'ar al-Qasab Southeast of Damascus city, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

The fighter jets, meantime, bombed heavily Al-Nusra's strongholds in Jorbar district that was used by terrorists to target the army's positions and residential areas in Damascus city.

Aleppo

Representative of the Russian Defense Ministry in Humanitarian and Ceasefire Working Groups in Geneva said that terrorist groups are getting ready to attack Aleppo city in Northern Syria.

Brigadier General Alexander Zorin said through a video conference in Russia al-Youm that terrorists deployed vastly in the Northern and Western countryside of Aleppo city are preparing to attack Aleppo.

The Russian general added that terrorists believe that the successful ceasefire in Aleppo can be expanded to other regions, that is why they try hard to violate it.

Zorin said meantime that the ISIL terrorists try to cut off the highway that connects Aleppo to Hama and Homs, but they fail to do so.

A commander said that the Syrian army strengthened security along the strategic Khanasser-Ithriya road as it played a vital role in its recent operations in Aleppo province.

The senior army commander who asked to remain unnamed said that recently, the Khanasser-Ithriya road witnessed massive ISIL attacks and the terrorists attacked the trade and military convoys with the aim of cutting the Syrian army's supply route and preventing its advances.

Also, the ISIL intended to reduce pressures in battlefields in al-Salamiyah and in the depth of Badiyeh regions after sustaining heavy defeats in Homs and Hama.

Meantime, the commander added that the Syrian army, supported by the Syrian air force, regained control of several hills and mountains near Khanasser-Ithriya road, including al-Tawihineh mountains in the Northeastern parts of the road which borders Aqayrabat region.

Also, the army forces were able to advance in the depth of Khanasser-Ithriya road from the Eastern parts of Aleppo and reinvigorated security along the road.

847/940