Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Makes New Gains in Aleppo Countryside

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its mop-up operations in Southwestern Aleppo by purging terrorists from key areas and regions.

News ID: 435774

Date: 14 January 2018 - 19:19

RNA - The army units also took back the villages of al-Qawas and al-Hamra and paved their way towards Idlib province.

The army then focused on advancing towards key Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Idlib province.

The Syrian troops killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more 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.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army troops pushed the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) back from five more regions in Southwestern Aleppo on Saturday in their push towards the key Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Idlib province.

The army men beat the Al-Nusra back from al-Safa, Talil al-Safa, Kafr Kar, Banan and Um Jaran South of the town of al-Safireh, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their equipment.

The army forces are advancing towards Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Idlib from two flanks in the Western direction of the town of Khanasser and al-Safireh in Southwestern Aleppo.

Field sources confirmed earlier on Saturday that the army men in the last round of clashes with Al-Nusra captured the villages of al-Atshanah, al-Salehiyeh, Beit al-Hamadat, al-Jufrah, Wadi al-Hob and Tal al-Sabiyeh near the town of al-Safireh.

The sources said that the army has thus far imposed control over 60 villages and towns following its advances in Southwestern Aleppo in the last four days.

The sources said that the army has started fresh operations South of al-Safireh to access the key Abu al-Dhohour airbase, capturing 26 villages.

The sources further said that the terrorist groups have launched more attacks on the army to slow down their rapid advances and prevent them from laying siege on the militants trapped in a large region expanded from Southern and Southwestern Aleppo up to Southeastern Idlib.

Idlib

The Syrian Army soldiers beat back terrorists from more regions in Southeastern Idlib, tightening the noose on the militant-held Abu al-Dhohour military airport, field sources confirmed on Saturday.

The sources said that the army men captured the villages of Hamidiyeh, Hamidiyeh Shaddad and Aljaki'yeh near Abu al-Dhohour strategic airbase in Southeastern Idlib.

The sources said that the army men inflicted major casualties on the terrorists and recaptured lost lands in Atshan, Um Khalakhil, Zerzour, Khi'yareh, Ajouz and Kafraya regions.

The army men, meantime, repelled terrorists' heavy offensive on the villages of Kharbiyeh and Rabi'eh in Southeastern Idlib, targeting and destroying two bomb-laden vehicles of the terrorists before they could hit the army positions.

Local sources confirmed on Friday that tens of militants, including three notorious commanders of the combat units of three main terrorist groups were killed in the Syrian Army troops' operation in Northeastern Hama and Southeastern Idlib.

The sources said that Ibrahim al-Alyan nom de guerre Abu Rabi'a, a military commander of Jeish al-Nasr-Free Army, was killed in the army attacks in Northeastern Hama.

In the meantime, Basam Khatab nom de guerre Abu Seif Kafr Owayd, a commander of Ahrar al-Sham and field Commander of Faylaq al-Sham Hassan Abu Khadija were killed in the battels with the army men in Khwein region in Southeastern Idlib.

Damascus

Field sources reported on Saturday that ISIL has once again stormed the positions of its rival terrorist group of Jeish al-Islam in the Southern countryside of Damascus city, taking control over a number of their strongholds.

The sources said that ISIL engaged in clashes with Jeish al-Islam in Hajar al-Aswad region to the South of the capital, imposing control over three buildings in al-Zein neighborhood.

The clashes inflicted several casualties on both sides.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily reported last week that the residents of Bebeila, Yalda and Beit Saham in the Southern countryside of Damascus city started protests after terrorists started capturing the people that asked for implementation of the reconciliation plan.

It went on to say that at least 200 residents of Bebeila poured into the streets and moved towards the Syrian Army positions in the Bebeila' outskirts but the terrorists prevented them and started clashes with them.

Other media activists said that most of the residents in the region support implementation of the reconciliation plan, adding that the terrorist groups have announced in a joint statement that they will confront those people that intend to join the reconciliation plan.

Terrorists of Jeish al-Islam, Jeish al-Ababi, Ajnad al-Sham, Ferqa Damascus and the brigades of Seif al-Sham and al-Forqan are still operating in the Southern parts of Damascus province.

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