Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Soon to Liberate Strategic Region in Eastern Damascus

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its military operations in Eastern Damascus by purging terrorists from a strategic region and is very close to liberating the area.

News ID: 436557

Date: 24 February 2018 - 05:45

RNA - The army units drove back the terrorists from key regions in Eastern Ghouta after destroying the defense lines of terrorists there.

The Syrian troops killed several terrorists and injured many more in fierce clashes over controlling of the strategic regions. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.

The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Damascus

The Syrian army units launched heavy attacks on terrorists' positions in the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, destroying several bases and arms caches in the region.

The Syrian army's artillery, missile and air forces pounded the terrorists' positions and moves in Hazeh, Modira, Arabayn, Saqaba, Kafr Batna and Hamouriyeh in Eastern Ghouta.

During the operations, an arms cache and several bases and vehicles belonging to the terrorists were destroyed and at least 13 militants were killed and tens of others were wounded.

A military source confirmed that the terrorists' defense lines have collapsed after the operations, adding that they have severely become weak in the town of al-Nashabiyeh.

The source underlined that the Syrian army forces are more than ever close to the liberation of al-Nashabiyeh.

In a relevant development, the Syrian and Russian fighter jets bombed a convoy of terrorists and their military equipment heading from Eastern Qalamoun region towards army positions in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, inflicting heavy tolls and damages on them.

Field sources reported that the Russian and Syrian warplanes targeted the positions of Ahmad Abdu terrorist group and other militants who were preparing to launch an offensive against the Syrian army positions near al-Zamir airbase in North of Eastern Ghouta.

They added that during the airstrikes against the terrorists in regions near al-Rahibeh and Petra in Eastern Qalamoun a number of terrorists were killed and several of their vehicles and military equipment were smashed.

Members of Ahmad Abdu terrorist group were preparing to attack the Syrian army positions in the region.

Dara'a

A commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorist group was gunned down in Dara'a as assassination operations have increased in the province.

Field sources reported on Thursday that unknown assailants killed Tahrir al-Sham's senior Mufti named Yahya al-Qaisi, nom de guerre Abu Obaida, in the town of Western al-Qariyeh in Dara'a.

Meantime, a bomb was detonated on the vehicle carrying terrorists in the village of Tayebah in Southeastern Dara'a and one of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) commanders named Mousa al-Za'abi was killed.

Also, three other FSA members were killed after a bomb planted by unknown assailants exploded in Kafr Shams-Aqraba road in Northern Dara'a.

Aleppo

The Kurdish forces have delivered control of their positions in Eastern Aleppo to the Syrian army and hoisted the Syrian flag above them, media sources reported on Thursday.

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news channel reported that the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) delivered control of the Eastern districts of Aleppo, including Sheikh Maqsoud, al-Halak and Bustan Pasha, after coordination with the Syrian army.

Also, certain Syrian sources reported that the Syrian army units have entered Sheikh Khazar, al-Ashrafiyeh and al-Heidariyeh neighborhoods.

They added that the Syrian flag has been hoisted above those neighborhoods, adding that delivering control of the East Aleppo districts to the army was in line with implementing the agreement between the Kurds and the Syrian government on Afrin.

The Syrian and Kurdish officials have not confirmed the reports yet.

The development came after a YPG spokesman underlined that the Syrian army forces have been called to Afrin to end the Turkish army occupation and aggression.

Idlib

Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at terrorists were forced to withdraw from several regions in Idlib after their clashes with the newly-formed rival group, Syria's Tahrir Front, spread to the province.

Syria's Tahrir Front terrorists gained control of the strategic town of Ariha and the adjacent areas as well as the towns of al-Mastoumeh, Orum al-Jouz, Kafroumeh and Wadi al-Zaif after massive attacks against the positions of Tahrir al-Sham.

Tahrir al-Sham terrorists are now on alert in the towns of Salqain, Harem, Idlib, Jisr al-Shaqour and several other regions that they have occupied in Idlib province.

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