Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Saudi, Kuwaiti, Malaysian Terrorists Killed in Clashes with Army in Deir Ezzur

Rasa - The Syrian Army troops intensified attacks on ISIL's defense lines in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur on Wednesday, destroying a number of positions and killing a large number of terrorists, including Saudi, Malaysian and Kuwaiti ones.

News ID: 431740

Date: 17 August 2017 - 21:47

RNA - The Syrian Army troops intensified attacks on ISIL's defense lines in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur on Wednesday, destroying a number of positions and killing a large number of terrorists, including Saudi, Malaysian and Kuwaiti ones.

Deir Ezzur

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in the neighborhoods of al-Huweiqa and al-Roshdiyeh and around Deir Ezzur airbase, killing a large number of them and destroying their arms and equipment.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force bombed ISIL's positions and supply lines in Panorama and al-Mawared regions, in the neighborhoods of al-Roshdiyeh, al-Huweiqa and Khasarat and in the villages of al-Hosseiniyeh, al-Baqaliyeh, Hatlah, Huweija Sakar, Ayyash and al-Masrab.

A military source confirmed that several positions of ISIL were destroyed and a large number of terrorists, including Owayed al-Barak and Ayed al-Dakhil from Kuwaiti and Abu Aisha al-Jazrawi from Saudi Arabia and a Malaysian were killed in the attacks.

Also, an Arab media outlet reported Wednesday that tens of US soldiers and Free Syrian Army militants have arrived in al-Shadadi region to participate in an imminent operation against ISIL in Deir Ezzur.

The Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported that a military column, including 200 US soldiers and 100 FSA fighters have arrived in al-Shadadi region in Southern Hasaka in the last five days.

Al-Ahd further reported that special forces affiliated to the Syrian al-Qad movement headed by Ahmad al-Jarba intend to join the newly-arrived forces in al-Shadadi to participate in Deir Ezzur battle.

Al-Qad's moves came after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces refused to cooperate with al-Jarba's forces.

The total number of al-Qad's fighters that have retreated towards their camps near the towns of Abu Khashab, Maleha al-Zero and Raj'an between Hasaka and Deir Ezzur provinces amounts to 3,000.

Also, local sources reported on Wednesday that the ISIL terrorist group has executed a number of its own foreign fighters on charges of fleeing battlefields in Deir Ezzur city and in Southeastern territories of the province.

The sources said that ISIL has executed its own foreign-national members after they fled their positions in battle with the Syrian Army troops in Deir Ezzur's neighborhoods and in the town of Muhassan and in the villages of Bu Leil and Buqrus.

In the meantime, the army men, backed up by the Syrian Air Force, engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL near Deir Ezzur airbase and along the road to the village of al-Baqaliyeh, destroying their positions and killing several militants.

Meanwhile, the army aircraft bombed heavily ISIL's positions and movements in the villages of Ayyash, Hatleh, al-Hosseiniyeh, Huweija Sakar and al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, destroying several positions of terrorists.

Also in the past 24 hours, two notorious commanders of the ISIL terrorist group have escaped from the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur with millions of Syrian lira amid the Syrian Army troops' advances in Raqqa and Homs provinces towards Deir Ezzur.

The local sources said that Jalibib Tunisi (from Tunis) and Abu Talha Belgiki (from Belgium), two security commanders of ISIL, have escaped Deir Ezzur with 39mln Syrian lira following the rapid advances of the army men in Eastern Homs and in the Southern part of Raqqa provinces in their push towards Deir Ezzur.

Damascus

Abu Mahmoud Leili, one of the key commanders of Jeish al-Islam, was killed in intensified clashes with two other main terrorist groups operating in Eastern Ghout on Wednesday.

The notorious field commander of Jeish al-Islam was killed in bloody clashes with Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) and Faylaq al-Rahman.

In the meantime, Faylaq al-Rahman put its militants on alert in the small town of Modira to carry out counter-attack and take back the lost farms near the town.

Also in the past 24 hours, a large number of the Syrian Army special forces have arrived in Eastern Ghouta to partake in the final phase of the pro-government forces' operation against terrorist groups, a media outlet reported.

The English-language AMN quoted a military source as saying that a large number of the army's special forces have been deployed around Jobar region to launch final phase of operation against ISIL terrorists.

The AMN added that army is preparing to carry out a large-scale operation in Jobar after Faylaq al-Rahman and Al-Nusra Front announced that they will not surrender.

In the meantime, the army men have engaged in heavy fighting with terrorists in Ein Terma and Jobar, while the army's artillery and missile units have been pounding terrorists' defense lines in the region.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops managed to take control over another key hill after hours of non-stop clashes with ISIL terrorists in Eastern Hama on Wednesday.

The army men continued their advances against ISIL in Eastern Hama and imposed control over Jubb al-Mazare'a hill overlooking the village of Salba.

A military source said that the army's siege on ISIL in Salba has been tightened and terrorists' supply line from the Western direction to the village has been cut off after the pro-government forces took control over Jubb al-Mazare'a.

ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the attack.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units shelled terrorists' positions in Southeastern Hama and repelled their attack on pro-government forces' positions in the small town of Tal Dareh West of the town of al-Salamiyah, killing and wounding a number of militants.

Also, news websites affiliated to the terrorist groups reported on Wednesday that six brigades and battalions of terrorists have joined Al-Nusra Front to stand against the rapid advances of the Syrian Army troops in Central Syria.

The websites said that battalions of Abdullah Azam brigade as well as al-Iman brigade, Aswad al-Harb battalion, Ahl al-Beit brigade affiliated to Ahrar al-Sham along with Aswad al-Islam brigade affiliated to Jund al-Islam and al-Majd brigade affiliated to Ajnad al-Sham have been merged and have formed the so-called Hama Army.

The websites went on to say that the newly-formed Hama Army announced in a statement that Abu Taher al-Homawi has been appointed as the army's Emir and religious judge, adding that the Hama Army also appointed Abu Badr Hajazi as the military commander of the army.

The news websites added that the Hama Army has pledged allegiance to Al-Nusra.

The websites reported that Al-Nusra is getting ready for a large-scale battle against the Syrian Army following terrorist groups' decision to join the Al-Nusra.

Homs

The Syrian Army's artillery units and Air Force targeted a military column of ISIL terrorists in Eastern Homs en route to the depth of Badiyeh (desert) in Deir Ezzur on Wednesday, destroying most of the vehicles.

The military convoy of ISIL terrorists with at least six large military vehicles was en route from Northeast of the town of Humeimeh in Eastern Homs to the depth of Badiyeh in Deir Ezzur.

The artillery and aircraft pounded the convoy and destroyed most of the vehicles, killing a number of their crew.

In the meantime, the artillery and missile unis opened heavy fire at ISIL's movements East of Jubb al-Jarrah, destroying two military vehicles and killing several terrorists.

Aleppo

Four persons were killed in a terrorist attack with rocket shells fired by terrorists on al-Akramiyeh neighborhood in Aleppo city.

Terrorists positioned in the Western outskirts of Aleppo, targeted al-Akramiyeh neighborhood with three rocket shells, claiming the lives of four persons, including a girl child, injuring 17 others and causing material damage to citizens’ properties, SANA reported.

More than 600,000 Syrians returned to their homes in the seven months from January, mostly to the Northwestern province of Aleppo which the government liberated at the end of 2016.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), it almost equaled the entire number of returnees in 2016.

About 67 percent, or more than 400,000, of the returns this year have been to Aleppo Province which the Syrian government liberated from foreign-backed terrorists in mid-December last year.

Hasaka

Tens of US soldiers and Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants have arrived in al-Shadadi region to participate in an imminent operation against ISIL in Deir Ezzur, an Arab media outlet reported Wednesday.

The Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported that a military column, including 200 US soldiers and 100 FSA fighters have arrived in al-Shadadi region in Southern Hasaka in the last five days.Al-Ahd further reported that special forces affiliated to the Syrian al-Qad movement headed by Ahmad al-Jarba intend to join the newly-arrived forces in al-Shadadi to participate in Deir Ezzur battle.

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