Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Regains Control of More Areas in Homs

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its advances in Homs, and captured more strategic regions in the province.

News ID: 430591

Date: 26 June 2017 - 22:06

RNA - The army units drove the ISIL terrorists out of key areas and their surrounding areas in Homs province.

The Syrian troops inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists in fierce clashes over controlling of strategic regions. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.

The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Homs

The Syrian Army troops continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Homs, inching closer to the town of al-Sukhnah, the last stronghold of the terrorists en route to Deir Ezzur province.

The army soldiers engaged in tough battle with ISIL along the road from Arak to al-Sukhnah in Eastern Homs, driving terrorists out of Hazm al-Sawaneh region and deploying at the gates of Khirbet al-Qababeh.

The army men also crossed Arak-al-Sukhnah road and advanced against terrorists towards Tal'at al-Zeeb hill and managed to seize control over the Southern part of the region.

The Syrian Army and Hezbollah forces also resumed military operations in the Eastern countryside of Homs province, hitting the ISIL near the T-3 Pumping Station.

Following the liberation of the Zahr Abah area and Arak Gas Fields, the army continued offensive in the Eastern Palmyra and managed to liberate several points in the region and pushed further East towards the al-‘Zeeb, capturing most of the territory South of the site.

According to a battlefield source, the army is trying to close the pocket between Arak and the T-3 Pumping Station before pro-government forces begin their special operation to recapture ISIL's vital bastion of al-Sukhnah.

Damascus

The Syrian Army forces engaged in clashes with terrorists in Eastern Ghouta and managed to repel their assault after inflicting a dozen casualties on the militants.

The army units in Eastern Damascus engaged in fierce clashes with a group of terrorists near al-Betra region, killing most of the terrorists and destroying their equipment.

In the meantime, the army soldiers engaged in a tough battle with Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) that intended to attack the army positions in Tal (hill) al-Ahmar around the village of Harfa in Southwestern Damascus from their positions in Beit Jin farms, killing a number of terrorists and repelling their attack.

Quneitra

The Syrian Army troops engaged in a tough battle with Al-Nusra Front in the Southwestern province of Quneitra and repelled their heavy offensive, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army soldiers clashed fiercely with Al-Nusra terrorists that attacked the pro-government forces' positions in areas surrounding the town of al-Ba'ath in Quneitra countryside to decrease the army's pressure on militants' defense lines in Dara'a city and fended off their attack.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units pounded Al-Nusra Front's movements while repelling their attack and destroying a tank and three military vehicles and killed or wounded a number of militants.

Field sources reported that a number of injured members of Al-Nusra have been transferred to the Israeli hospitals via al-Hamidiyeh region in Quneitra countryside.

Meantime, military sources rejected terrorists' claims about their control over some of the buildings in al-Ba'ath and underlined that the terrorists have sustained a heavy defeat, adding that the terrorists used Israeli airstrikes and returned to their positions via the paths that was opened for them by the Israeli air raids.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by the country's Air Force, repelled several attacks of the ISIL on the pro-government forces' positions in Deir Ezzur, killing tens of terrorists and destroying their military equipment.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in the village of al-Baqaliyeh, al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, Ayyash, Tal (hill) Borouk's surroundings, al-Hamidiyeh neighborhood and South of Bu Saraya garden and inflicted heavy defeats on the terrorists.

A military source reported that the army units destroyed a position of ISIL and killed 20 terrorists who were inside, destroying two military vehicles and another position.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units shelled ISIL's movements and positions near Deir Ezzur's airport, Tal al-Sonouf, Water Resource, al-Thardah mountain and the village of al-Mari'eiyeh, killing a large number of terrorists.

Also, the army aircraft bombed heavily ISIL's defense lines in the village of Mohimidiyeh in the Western countryside of Deir Ezzur, destroying a position and killing 14 terrorists.

The fighter jets also pounded ISIL's strongholds in the neighborhoods of al-Hamidiyeh, al-Orfi, Khasarat, near regiment 137 base, Panorama base, al-Majbal region, and in the villages of al-Janineh, Ayyash and al-Baqaliyeh, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

Raqqa

The Syrian Army troops will not halt their operations against ISIL terrorists in Western Raqqa, despite the recent US attacks on a Syrian warplane near the key town of Resafa, army officers reiterated on Sunday.

The army captured the key town of Resafa in mid-June after fierce clashes with the terrorists in Western Raqqa, forcing a large number of terrorists to retreat from their positions towards deeper areas in the province, and preventing the Kurdish militants from moving towards the key energy zones from the direction of Southern al-Tabaqa, an army commander said.

“America’s aggression will not stop our mission and we (Syrian Army) will keep fighting terrorists as long as they are in Syria,” a military officer told AMN.

A Syrian fighter jet engaging in operations against the ISIL in Raqqa was downed by the US-led coalition warplane last Sunday.

Damascus confirmed the report on Sunday, stressing that the US-led coalition has shot down one of its bombers during a mission in Raqqa countryside.

According to the statement, the warplane was carrying out operations against ISIL in the countryside of Raqqa when it was targeted, leading to a crash and the loss of the pilot, who is currently missing.

“This attack comes at a time when the Syrian army and its allies are advancing in the fight against ISIS (ISIL or Daesh) terrorists who are being defeated in the Syrian desert in more ways than one,” the statement read.

The statement stressed that although such attacks seek to undermine the Syrian armed forces’ struggle against terrorism, they would not be deterred in fighting for stability and security in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The downing of the Syrian aircraft was confirmed by an official press statement from Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led international task force against ISIL, which accused the Damascus government of targeting fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces.

“At 6:43pm, a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF fighters South of Tabaqa and, in accordance with rules of engagement and collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a US F/A-18E Super Hornet,” the statement read.

The statement stressed that its mission is to defeat ISIS (ISIL or Daesh) in Iraq and Syria and that the Coalition does not seek to “fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend Coalition or partner forces from any threat.”

Hama

The Syrian Army men continued their anti-ISIL operation along the road connecting Hama to Raqqa, driving terrorists out of one more key region along the road.

The army soldiers engaged in hours of heavy fighting with ISIL along Hama-Raqqa road in Southeastern Aleppo and imposed control over Tal Jaber region.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at ISIL's positions in the battlefield, inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists.

Relevant reports said earlier that the army soldiers kicked off a fresh round of operation in Western Raqqa to impose control over ISIL-held positions along the highway that connects Raqqa city to the town of Ithriya in Hama province.

The Syrian Army in the course of a special military operation in Western Raqqa hit ISIL’s positions along the Ithriya-Raqqa Highway, inflicting heavy losses on the Takfiri terrorist group, a field source said, adding that the pro-government forces were attempting to connect the Ithriya-Raqqa Highway from the town of Resafa in Western Raqqa to Ithriya in Eastern Hama.

According to field reports, should the Syrian forces recapture the entire terrorist-held positions along the Raqqa-Ithriya highway, the ISIL would be besieged from three directions in Khanasser plain in Southeastern Aleppo.

The army and popular forces also resumed military operations in Northeastern Hama, pounding ISIL's positions near the town of Ithriya, liberating Al-Abjar Hill along the Hama-Raqqa provincial road.

The Damascus forces were trying to cleanse the Salamiyah-Raqqa Road, as they look to secure the pathway between the two towns of Ithriya and Resafa.

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