Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Hezbollah Fighters Seize More Key Heights From Al-Nusra Terrorists

Rasa - The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance fighters took control of more strategic heights and positions from Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Arsal heights, Lebanon.

News ID: 431237

Date: 26 July 2017 - 21:58

RNA - The terrorists sustained heavy losses in the Hezbollah's attacks.

Meantime, the Syrian army continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Damascus

The Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement imposed full control over several more heights and positions on the fifth day of their war on the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Arsal heights.

The resistance forces clashed fiercely with Al-Nusra and took control over the heights and positons of Wadi Komeil, Wadi Hamoudi, Maka'ah al-Feran, al-Bider, Sho'abat al-Nahleh and Wadi Zalil al-Barak.

The Hezbollah forces also fortified their positions in areas surrounding al-Malahi region.

According to some field reports, negotiations are underway for the surrender of Al-Nusra's Commander in Arsal heights Abu Malik al-Tali.

The General Command of the Resistance Operation in Lebanon confirmed earlier today that the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters' war on Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Arsal heights is on verge of ending after inflicting major losses on the terrorists in the last couple of days.

The General Command said that the Hezbollah combatants continued their operation in Arsal heights at Lebanon-Syria border on the fourth day of operation and drove Al-Nusra out of 80 percent of the heights.

The general command further said that his forces have seized control of Al-Nusra's operation room in Haqab al-Kheil height that was under the command of Abu Malik al-Tali, adding that Hezbollah fighters destroyed the telecommunication system of Al-Nusra in Arsal.

In the meantime, a large number of terrorists retreated from their positions and moved toward contact lines with ISIL in Eastern Arsal and also a large number of Al-Nusra fled the battlefield toward Wadi Hamid and al-Malahi regions following Hezbollah's advances in Arsal and collapse of Al-Nusra Front in the region.

Homs

The Syrian Army dispatched hundreds of fresh forces to Eastern Homs to kick off the last phase of anti-terrorism operation to free the key town of al-Sukhnah in the depth of Badiyeh (desert).

Several convoys carrying hundreds of fresh soldiers were sent to the Eastern direction of the ancient city of Palmyra in Humeimeh region, field sources confirmed, adding that the newly-arrived forces are to take part in the final phase of anti-ISIL operation to capture al-Sukhnah and drive terrorists out of T2 military base.

The army forces are currently advancing against ISIL from the two directions of Palmyra and Southern Raqqa towards the last stronghold of ISIL in Eastern Homs that is considered as a gate to Deir Ezzur too.

Hama

The Russian Air Force carried out several combat sorties over ISIL's strongholds and movements in Eastern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The fighter jets targeted ISIL's movements in Qastal gas field in Eastern Hama, destroying a missile Launchpad and killing a number of terrorists.

In the meantime, the Syrian Army troops, backed up by the Syrian and Russian fighter jets, clashed fiercely with terrorists in several areas in Aqayrabat region, killing or wounding a number of terrorists.

Raqqa

The Syrian Army troops' advances against ISIL in areas South-East of Raqqa province pushed Washington's plot in Northeastern Syria into failure, military experts explained.

The sources said that the army soldiers imposed control over the villages of Shenan and al-Akereshi after seizing back the village of Dalheh South-East of Raqqa province.

The sources further said that the army will soon take control over Wadi al-Forat region near Raqqa and underscored that the town of Ma'aden at the Raqqa-Deir Ezzur border is the main objective of the army men that are moving from the town of al-Rasafeh towards Ma'aden region.

The sources underscored that Ma'adan is the last ISIL bastion in Raqqa province, adding that capturing Ma'aden will pave the way for the liberation of all the villages on the Southern bank of the Euphrates River in Western Deir Ezzur and will ultimately kill any chance for the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the region.

Syria-Iraq Border

The chief of the Russian General Staff said that the Syrian Army troops have restored security to 150km of the borderline with Iraq, narrowing down the region for infiltration of militants and arms by the ISIL terrorists group.

The Russian General Staff said that the Syrian government forces have successfully taken back control of a 150-kilometer (93 miles) stretch of Syria's border with Iraq, adding that four border posts and 22 checkpoints have also been set up.

"To date, control of the 150-kilometer stretch of the Syrian-Iraqi border has been restored. Four border posts and 22 checkpoints have been set up. This allowed to significantly reduce the capabilities of the ISIL to transfer militants and weapons from Iraq to Syria," chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said at a news briefing.

Rudskoy stressed that the Syrian government troops also took control over 211 kilometers of the Syrian-Jordanian border in Sweida and Damascus provinces.

Moreover, some 20,000 square kilometers of the Syrian territory was freed from terrorists in the past 2 months, which is 40 percent of whole liberated territory, Rudskoy said.

Since June, the Syrian government forces have liberated 55 towns from ISIL in Aleppo province.

"In the Northeastern part of Aleppo province, in the area of the Euphrates River, the Syrian armed forces continue an offensive against the ISIL terrorists. At least 55 populated areas have been liberated in the region since June 1," Rudskoy said.

A well-placed military source said last week that the army dispatched hundreds of fresh soldiers to Southeastern Damascus to join the pro-government force's imminent operation against terrorists near the border with Iraq.

The sources said that the army sent hundreds of fresh reinforcements to Southeastern Damascus to reinvigorate its front at border with Iraq.

The sources added that a part of the dispatched force would be responsible for restoring more security to the liberated regions.

The sources pointed to the ceasefire in Southern Syria and added that a number of the fresh forces were to stand on alert to respond to any possible threats posed by the US-backed militants in the region.

He further said that the army forces would launch an imminent anti-terrorism operation near the border with Iraq.

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