Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Militant Groups, Gov't Hold Talks to End Al-Nusra's Presence in Eastern Damascus

Rasa - The main militant groups in Eastern Damascus have been negotiating with the Syrian and Russian officials over ending the presence of the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) terrorists in Eastern Ghouta, an Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday.

News ID: 435323

Date: 14 December 2017 - 22:44

RNA - The main militant groups in Eastern Damascus have been negotiating with the Syrian and Russian officials over ending the presence of the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) terrorists in Eastern Ghouta, an Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday.

Damascus

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted well-informed sources as saying that intense talks are underway between reconciliation committees and the Russian forces with the representatives of Jeish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman to pave the ground for the imminent withdrawal of Al-Nusra terrorists from Eastern Damascus.

The paper reminded the Syrian army's control over Eastern Ghouta and the pursuing withdrawal of the Al-Nusra from the region, and said the talks have concentrated on the annihilation of Al-Nusra or its withdrawal from Eastern Ghouta and its expulsion to other militant-held regions, including Idlib.

Meantime, a fresh wave of disputes and internal conflicts has erupted among Al-Nusra members and commanders, and Al-Nusra security members have started arresting dissident commanders or members in recent days.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops purged another key region of Al-Nusra Front in Southwestern Damascus on Wednesday and managed to extend the range of their control over a strategic terrorist-held region.

The army men stormed the remaining pocket of Al-Nusra North of Bardaya Mountains and cleaned the area of terrorists after inflicting major losses on them.

The army has significantly advanced against terrorists in the region between Beit Jinn and al-Mughur al-Mir regions in Southwestern Damascus, tightening noose on the Al-Nusra from Northeast of Beit Jinn Farm that is a strategic bastion for the terrorist group.

Field sources said on Wednesday that the Syrian Army dispatched a large number of fresh forces and more equipment to Southeastern Damascus to accelerate cleansing operation of the region from the Al-Nusra Front terrorists.

The sources said that the army has forwarded a large number of forces and a large volume of military hardware to Southwestern Damascus to accelerate liberation of regions that are still under Al-Nusra's control.

They added that the army's artillery and missile units pounded heavily the Al-Nusra positions in Beit Jinn region.

The army is planning to pure Beit Jinn of terrorists as soon as possible.

Idlib

Hamoud al-Fayadh, a security commander of the Al-Nusra Front, was gunned down by unknown attackers in Northwestern Idlib, dissident-affiliated websites reported on Wednesday.

The news websites reported that Hamoud al-Fayadh nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Homawi, an Al-Nusra security commander in Eastern regions, was killed by the fire of unidentified attackers in a region between the town of Kafr Takharim and the town of Armanaz in Northwestern Idlib.

Aleppo

A sum of 250 gunmen have cut their relations with the Ankara-backed militant groups and joined the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) amid reports on the possibility of SDF's affiliation to the Syrian Army troops, a Kurdish media outlet reported on Wednesday.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that a sum of 250 gunmen affiliated to the Turkey-ked Euphrates Shield defected the Ankara-backed groups and joined the SDF in several stages in coordination with the Manbij Military Council in Northwestern Aleppo.

Hawar news further said that the first phase of defection in the town of Manbij occurred in mid-November.

Dara'a

Field sources reported on Wednesday that the Syrian Army has dispatched a large number of forces and a large volume of equipment to a region among Northern Dara'a, Western Damascus and Northern Quneitra known as the Death Triangle in the last two days to intensify anti-terrorism operation.

The sources reported that the army has forwarded a large number of soldiers and military hardware, including a large number of tanks, to Jediyeh Battalion base West of the town of al-Sanamein in Dara'a province and the Death Triangle to reinvigorate the pro-government forces' front to carry out an imminent operation against the Al-Nusra Front.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops repelled ISIL's heavy offensive on the pro-government forces' positions in Southeastern Deir Ezzur on Wednesday, killing tens of terrorists.

The army men warded off ISIL's heavy attack on their positons in al-Jala'a and al-Ramadi regions North of the town of Albu Kamal in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, killing tens of suicide attackers and destroying their bomb-laden vehicles in a ten-hour-long clash.

The army men killed tens of terrorists and forced their remaining pockets to retreat towards the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River, seizing arms and ammunition left behind by the fleeing militants.

In the meantime, other units of the army men deployed at Deir Ezzur border with Homs province engaged in heavy fighting with a group of ISIL terrorists that tired to prevail over the pro-government forces' positions in Badiyeh (desert) of Humeimim in Eastern Homs.

The army men beat back the ISIL and killed or wounded a number of them.

Homs

The Syrian Army opened heavy fire at the gathering centers of the terrorist groups in Northern Homs after the latter violated the de-escalation zone ceasefire agreement again on Wednesday and shelled the strongholds of the government forces.

Terrorist group's mortar units deployed in Northern Homs targeted the army's positions in al-Mohatah and al-Mashari'a regions in Northwestern Homs, violating ceasefire in the region.

The army's artillery and missile units, in response, shelled the bases and positions of the terrorists in the farms North of the town of al-Rastan.

A number of terrorists were killed or injured and their positions were destroying in the army's artillery fire.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops repelled a heavy offensive of a group of terrorists who planned to cut off Homs-Hama road.

The army men exchanged heavy fire with al-Islamiya Front terrorists that tried hard to prevail over the government forces' positions near the village of Khneifes South of the town of al-Salamiyah to close off Homs-al-Salamiyah road.

The army men fended off the attack after killing a number of terrorists and destroying their military equipment.

Local sources confirmed that the army men restored security to the Homs-Hama road as soon as pushing back the militants.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Army opened heavy fire at the gathering centers of the terrorist groups in Northern Homs after the latter violated the de-escalation zone ceasefire agreement again and shelled the strongholds of the government forces.

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