Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Regains Control over Key Area in Homs

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

News ID: 436819

Date: 11 March 2018 - 22:42

RNA - The army units engaged in tough battle with the terrorists in Homs 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.

Homs

The Syrian army won back control of a strategic region during an operation against the ISIL terrorists near al-Tanf in Southeastern Homs.

The Arabic-language al-Masdar news website quoted field sources as saying on Saturday that the army units engaged in clashes with the ISIL in Badiyeh (desert) region, retaking control of the strategic region of Bayr Atshan near al-Tanf, which is under the control of the US forces and affiliated militants, at the bordering areas.

The sources added that the terrorists fled towards the Iraqi borders after clashes with the Syrian army soldiers.

In a relevant development earlier on Saturday, the Syrian army dispatched a large number of forces and military hardware to Badiyeh of Homs to reinvigorate security of its key positions amid reports on the deployment of more US forces in al-Tanf base in Southeastern Homs, field sources reported.

The sources said that the army has forwarded more troops and equipment from Palmyra (Tadmur) city towards Southern Badiyeh of Homs and near the town of al-Quaryatayn.

The sources further said that the army intends to create a strong security belt around al-Quaryatayn, Hawarin and the Mahin strategic region.

The sources added that the army has widened the buffer zone around al-Quaryatan to 80 km in the Eastern and Southern directions to prevent infiltration of terrorist groups in the region.

They said that the army's deployment in Southern Badiyeh will also prevent the terrorists from moving between Eastern and Western Qalamoun to al-Tanf base in Southeastern Homs.

Damascus

The Syrian Army forces captured more lands in Eastern Ghouta and managed to lay siege on the terrorists in the strategic town of Harasta on Saturday.

The army men stormed terrorists' strongholds along the Douma-Harasta highway and pushed the militants back from their positions in Kilani Petrol Station and laid siege on the terrorists in the town of Harasta.

In the meantime, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the army forces have now separated Douma and Harasta from other terrorist-held regions in Eastern Ghouta and have gained military control over the terrorists' main line of movements and roads in the region.

According to Fars News Agancy, field sources said earlier on Saturday that Faylaq al-Rahman Chief of Staff Abu Ali Ziya al-Shaqouri was killed in clashes with the Syrian Army troops in Eastern Ghouta.

The sources said that the army men continued their night attacks on terrorists' stronghold in Eastern Ghouta, killing tens of terrorists, including Faylaq al-Rahman Chief of Staff Abu Ali Ziya al-Shaqouri.

The sources further said that al-Shaqouri was also Chief Commander of the terrorist group's military operation in Eastern Ghouta.

The sources said that the army has gained control over the entire key points in Eastern Ghouta, including the strategic points in Mesraba and Harasta regions.

Deir Ezzur

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have pulled back fighters from Southeastern Deir Ezzur near the border with Iraq, paving the way for an easy return of ISIL terrorists to lost lands in Eastern Syria, a media outlet reported on Saturday.

The Arabic-language Al-Manar news website reported that the SDF has retreated from a number of regions in Southeastern Deir Ezzur at Syria-Iraq border, adding that the move will open a road for the ISIL terrorists to have access again from the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River to Tal Safouk region in Southeastern Hasaka.

An Arab media outlet said on Wednesday that a sum of 1,700 Kurdish gunmen of the SDF left their positions in Raqqa, Deir Ezzur and Hasaka for Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo to stand against the Turkish incursion.

The Arabic-language Elam al-Harbi reported that the SDF called 1,700 gunmen from the battlefields against ISIL and sent them to Afrin to face the Turkish troops and the Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army militants operating under Operation Olive Branch.

More fighters are expected to head towards Afrin region in the coming days, as Kurds prepare for a major battle against the Turkey and Ankara-backed militants.

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