Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Repels Terrorists' Attacks on Gov't Positions in Hama

Rasa - The Syrian army soldiers repelled terrorists' attacks on their positions in Hama province after hours of clashes, inflicting major losses on them.

News ID: 432568

Date: 21 September 2017 - 19:34

RNA - The terrorists' offensives to capture the government forces' positions in Hama were fended off by the strong defense of the Syrian military men.

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

Hama

The Syrian Army troops repelled a heavy offensive by the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) and some other terrorist groups in Northern Hama on Wednesday, killing a number of terrorists, including a notorious field commander.

Abu Rashid Tizin, the field commander of al-Turkistani Islamic Party, was killed in clashes with the army men in Northern Hama.

The army men clashed fiercely with Al-Nusra and other terrorist groups in several regions in al-Talisiyeh, Tal (hill) Sowda and al-Qaherah regions in Northern Hama.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force and the army's artillery units targeted the positions and supply lines of the terrorists from Atshan to al-Habit and Tal al-Sayyad between the provinces of Hama and Idlib and in the depth of terrorist-held regions, destroying their command centers and arms depots.

A military source said that heavy fighting is underway in the region and the terrorist groups have thus far suffered major losses in their failed attacks.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops continued to beat ISIL back North-West of Deir Ezzur city on Wednesday, seizing control over more territories on the Western bank of the Euphrates River.

The army men, backed up by the Syrian Air Force and artillery units, pushed ISIL back from Zaqir Shamiyeh, al-Hawi and al-Hamd regions after liberating al-Shamitiyeh region on the Western bank of the Euphrates River.

In the meantime, ISIL's counter-attacks to recapture lost lands in the region have all been repelled so far.

Relevant reports said earlier that the army troops pushed ISIL terrorists back from more strategic hills and regions in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur and inflicted major losses on the militants.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and imposed control over several hills and Zahrah al-Mouhasan.

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

Homs

The Syrian Army troop captured five more key regions within the framework of their anti-terrorism operation in the Central parts of the country on Wednesday.

The army units stormed ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Homs and captured Rasm al-Tawil, Boyout al-Nazal, al-Qantarah, Zahrah al-Sat'hiyeh regions and several hills and heights overlooking the seized regions in Jubb al-Jarah.

Also, the army soldiers managed to advance towards the hills surrounding the villages of Abu Jaris and Tal al-Sha'arah and pushed ISIL away from the region.

The army's artillery and missile units, meantime, pounded ISIL's positions and movements in the region.

A military source said that the army men managed to destroy several command centers and a large volume of military hardware of ISIL and killed tens of them in the attack.

Syria-Jordan Border

The militants, backed up by the US and Jordan, have agreed to hand over their positions at border with Jordan to the Syrian Army troops, a Russian media outlet reported on Wednesday.

The Arabic-language website of the Russia's state news agency, Sputnik, reported that the militants that are supported by Washington and Amman have agreed to deliver a part of Syria's Southern border, including al-Nasib border-crossing, to the Syrian army.

The decision came after the US-backed militants held talks with the Russian military in Syria.

Also, a military source said that the terrorists have started to evacuate their military hardware from the border region.

The source further said that after the establishment of de-escalation zones in Southern Syria, Damascus and the Russia's Peace Center for Syria intensified negotiations with the militant groups to reopen a road to connect al-Qazal to al-Nasib to enable the army to re-impose control over the border-crossing.

The source went on to say that Abu Mohammad Ordoni had participated in the negotiations as the representative of the militants and called for the release of over 100 captives, adding that the Russian Peace Center informed Damascus of their demand; "so, the reopening of al-Nasib border-crossing must now be decided by the Syrian government".

Raqqa

The ISIL terrorist group has resorted to use female suicide attackers to hit the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Raqqa city, SDF media relations representative Mustafa Balli said Wednesday.

"Being pushed back by our fighters, the ISIL started using female suicide bombers to stage attacks in the city. This tactic won’t help them though; ISIL is gradually being encircled and their days are numbered," Balli told the Turkish-language website of the Russia's state news agency, Sputnik.

Balli also added that the SDF forces have reclaimed 15 city neighborhoods already, and recently managed to recapture the Civilian Affairs Department building.

"The Raqqa operation started over 3 months ago. The fighting still rages in the city center, in the area where the government buildings are located, and around the Saat and Delle squares where ISIL publicly executes civilians…. At this time the terrorists still control 30 percent of Raqqa," Balli said, adding that the fighting continues in six districts of the city.

The official spokesman for the Euphrates Rage Operation Room said earlier this month that the SDF pushed back ISIL from 65 percent of Raqqa city's neighborhoods.

Jeihan Sheikh Ahmad said that the Kurdish forces seized control over the neighborhoods of old Raqqa and al-Dar'eiyeh that were the most important strongholds of ISIL in the city.

He further added that the SDF has imposed control over 65 percent of Raqqa, including 14 neighborhoods of al-Sabahi, al-Romaniyeh, Hatin, al-Karim, al-Qadesiyeh, al-Yrmouk, Nazla al-Shahadah, Hosham bin Abdul Malik, al-Moshalab, al-Sina'a, al-Batani, al-Dor'eiyeh and old Raqqa that covers the neighborhoods of al-Masoureh and al-Rafeqah.

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