Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Regains Control over Key Town in Damascus

Rasa - The Syrian army continued its military operations in Eastern Damascus by purging terrorists from more strategic regions.

News ID: 436774

Date: 09 March 2018 - 18:08

RNA - The army units engaged in tough battle with the terrorists in Eastern Damascus after destroying the defense lines of the terrorists there and managed to capture another strategic area 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 continued nightly military operations in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, retaking control of a key region from terrorists.

The Takfiri terrorists withdrew from their positions in Beit Sawa in Eastern Ghouta and fled the town after facing the army's heavy offensive, a field source said on Thursday.

The Syrian army's ground forces, supported by missile, artillery and air force units, won back control of the strategic town of Beit Sawa after the militants fled the battleground.

The Syrian army is now less than 2km away from the Citrus Department, seeking to reach the region after liberating the town of Modireh and divide it into Northern and Southern parts.

Also, other units of the army plan to attack Mesraba, another strategic town in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus from the Southern and Eastern fronts.

A senior army officer said on Wednesday that the government troops' victory the town of Mesraba will lead to terrorists' collapse in the entire region of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus.

"The army's control over Mesraba and Beit Sawa is like a domino which will lead to the collapse of terrorist-held bases in Ghouta," the officer was quoted by the Arabic-language Elam al-Harbi news website as saying.

He added that the operation fronts in Ghouta will be separated into two Northern and Southern fronts, saying that many terrorists will be forced to surrender as a result.

"The Syrian army's encircling of the terrorists in different parts of Ghouta will be completed soon," the officer said, adding that the al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) terrorists stationed in Harasta will soon be cut off from Faylaq al-Rahman and Jeish al-Islam militants which are present in Douma, Saqaba and Hamouriyeh.

Meantime, the Syrian army forces were preparing to split the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus into two parts to further pressure the terrorists after extensive advances in the region.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday that the Syrian army has regained control of 50% of Eastern Ghouta.

A military source also said that the army is only 1km away from an area where it could drive a wedge between the Northern and Southern Eastern Ghouta.

Once the Syrian army manages to split Eastern Ghouta, the Damascus forces will have ultimately secured the vehicle management base and meet up with their forces in the area.

Aleppo

The Turkish army and the Ankara-backed militants occupied more Syrian territories after heavy clashes with the Kurds during the Operation Olive Branch in Aleppo.

The Turkish forces' Operations Room announced on Thursday that they have gained control of the village of Kafr Jennah and its strategic camp in Northern Afrin.

The dissident-affiliated Enab Baladi news website reported that the Turkish army has advanced to regions 9km away from Afrin from the North-East.

Meantime, the terrorists of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), allied with Turkey, could drive the Kurds out of Haloubi Kabir, Mashala, Tal Hamou and Qouririah regions and take control of Maydankay Dam.

Also, South of Afrin, the Turkish-backed militants advanced in Jandaris axis, capturing Tal Jandaris after another brief battle with Kurdish fighters.

A field source said that Soleiman Shah heights is now the Kurdish troops' last defense line from the North-East once the Turkish army gains control over Kafr Jennah and the camp inside it.

He added that if the Turkish forces win control of Jandaris, al-Ma'abatli region will be the only region under Kurdish control, and the Turkish army's control will be completed over Reef Afrin if they can occupy al-Ma'abatli.

Raqqa

According to Fars News Agancy, the tribal Arab forces in Raqqa province have formed a number of units to fight against the Kurds who have occupied the city and are supported by Washington.

The forces formed under the title of the Popular Resistance of Raqqa (PRoR) are now recruiting forces to start fights against Kurdish militias.

A large number of civilians who were killed during the operations by the Kurds and the US-led anti-ISIL coalition in Raqqa were members of these tribes.

The Kurdish forces have also been busy with forced recruitment among the civilians after occupation of Raqqa.

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