Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Terrorists' Command Centers in Idlib Destroyed in Airstrikes

Rasa - The Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out joint combat flights over terrorists' stronghold and movements in Hama and Idlib province, destroying several command posts of a non-Syrian terrorist group affiliated to the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) on Wednesday.

News ID: 437110

Date: 05 April 2018 - 23:31

RNA - The Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out joint combat flights over terrorists' stronghold and movements in Hama and Idlib province, destroying several command posts of a non-Syrian terrorist group affiliated to the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) on Wednesday.

Idlib

The Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded terrorists' movements and positions in Kafr Zita and Morek regions in Northern Hama, destroying several militant strongholds and injuring a number of gunmen.

In the meantime, a field source reported that several command posts of al-Turkistani party affiliated to the Al-Nusra were damaged in the air attacks in Eastern Lattakia.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Air Force bombed heavily terrorists' movements in the villages of Eidoun, al-Damineh, Bariqath and al-Qarbatiyeh in Southern Hama, killing or wounding a large number of militants.

Also, the Syrian Army's artillery units opened heavy fire at terrorists' positions in the villages and towns of al-Latamina, Latmin, Ma'arkabah and Hasraya in Northern Hama, killing tens of militants from the Al-Nusra Front and other affiliated groups.

Also on Wednesday, local sources reported that Syria's Tahrir Front and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) have again engaged in fierce clashes in Northern Syria, while later reports indicated large number of casualties on both warring sides.

The sources said that Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's Tahrir Front exchanged heavy fire near the small town of Khan al-Sabal in Southeastern Idlib that inflicted a large number of casualties on both sides.

Other sources in Western Aleppo reported that tough clashes are underway between the two rival terrorist groups in Jam'iyat al-Farsan region near the town of Kafr Naha and the village of Tal Adah in Western Aleppo.

Infighting between the two rival terrorist groups has inflicted major losses on both sides in the village of Arhab in Western Aleppo and several members of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at have been captured by Syria's Tahrir Front.

Raqqa

Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and other SDF-affiliated militants engaged in a fresh round of fierce clashes in Raqqa province in Northeastern Syria, local sources reported on Wednesday.

The sources said that the Kurdish fighters clashed with the SDF-affiliated Raqqa Thowar Brigade, whose members are mainly from Raqqa, at al-Asadiyeh checkpoint near Hatin Farm in Raqqa province.

The infighting broke out after a vehicle of Raqqa Thowar was detonated on Tal Abyadh-Raqqa road, leaving a number of gunmen dead or wounded.

In the meantime, media activists pointed to the SDF's harsh measures against civilians in Raqqa, adding that a vehicle carrying civilians came under heavy gun fire in al-Sawameh square in Raqqa city, leaving a person dead and several more wounded.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Turkish Air Force raided the strongholds of the Kurdish militias in Raqqa province in Northeastern Syria as other units of the Turkish army are widening the scope of their Operation Olive Branch in Northern Syria, an Arab media outlet reported.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily reported that the Turkish warplanes have struck several times the warehouses of the 93rd Brigade Base in the town of Ein Issa in Northern Raqqa that is under the Kurdish fighters.

The daily further said that the Kurdish forces declared curfew in the region after the air attacks.

In the meantime, local reports said that the Turkish army targeted a group of the Kurdish gunmen in the town of Ra'as al-Ein in Northwestern Hasaka.

Damascus

The Syrian army troops continued mop-up operation in Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday and discovered several tunnels, rocket-making workshops and chemical material canisters in regions that were once under terrorists' control.

The sources said that the army has found a long tunnel in the town of Ein Terma in Eastern Ghouta, adding that the tunnel is a several-kilometer-long path with two branches to Zmelka region at its Northern side and Jobar region at its Western side.

In the meantime, other units of the army found a 3-km long tunnel between the regions of Arbin, Ein Terma, Zmelka and Jobar that was used by the terrorists for their vehicle movements.

The sources further said that the army's engineering units in Arbin have found a workshop used for making mortar shells and rockets, and a warehouse of bombs and several canisters containing chemical materials.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army has dispatched a considerable number of troops to the line of engagement in the Southern countryside of Damascus, where government troops apparently plan to initiate a major assault on the positions of a pocket of ISIL terrorists deployed in the region, field sources said.

Military sources said that the army has forwarded a large number of its soldiers and a large volume of equipment from Jobar region in Eastern Ghouta to the contact lines with ISIL to purge Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood and parts of Yarmouk Refugee Camp and al-Tazamon region of the remaining pockets of the ISIL terrorists.

In the meantime, peace talks are underway between the army and militants deployed in the towns of Yalda, Beit Saham and Bebeila in the Southern countryside of Damascus city.

Also in the past 24 hours, nearly 1,200 militants of Jeish al-Islam group left the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma for Northern Syria along with their family members within the framework of an agreement with the Syrian Army.

A sum of 24 buses transferred 1,198 militants of Jeish al-Islam and their family members from Douma to the town of Jarabulus in Northeastern Aleppo via al-Wafedeen safe corridor.

It was the second group of Jeish al-Islam militants that left Douma.

A 1,130-member group of Jeish al-Islam militants and their family members had previously departed from Douma.

In the meantime, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that over 40,000 Syrian civilians have thus far returned to their homes in different towns and villages of Eastern Ghouta.

A military source, meanwhile, said that differences and tensions among terrorist groups have made implementation of the reconciliation plan in the region difficult.

Aleppo

The US military has started increasing its presence in Manbij region in Northeastern Aleppo that is under the Kurdish fighters' control amid reports on the Turkish army plan to carry out an imminent operation in the region, sources from the local population said on Wednesday.

The sources said that the US military has reportedly established the second new base in Manbij region that is held by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"(One) base will be located eight kilometers away from Sajour River, which forms the frontline between Jarabulus, the Euphrates Shield area, and Manbij," local sources said, adding that the other base is being built four km away from the frontline, South of Dadat.

Hama

The terrorist groups have embarked on forming a new coalition in Homs and Hama provinces to slow down the Syrian Army advances, well-informed sources in Central Syria reported on Wednesday.

The sources said that most of the terrorist groups in Northern Homs and Southern Hama have agreed on setting up a Joint Operation Room under a united command in the central regions between the two provinces.

The sources further said that the terrorists of al-Faylaq al-Rabeh, Jeish al-Tohid, Faylaq al-Sham, al-Watan Tahrir Movement, Jeish al-Izzah, Jeish al-Homs, al-Houleh Operation Room, al-Rastan, Southern Hama Operation Room, Eastern Region and Southwestern Region have joined the newly-formed coalition that is now under the command of Ibrahim Bakar Abu Khalil.

They added that the newly-formed coalition is said to aim to face the army advances in Central Syria. Yet, the army is implementing a reconciliation plan in Southeastern Hama and is on the verge of purging the region of terrorists, they said.

Dara'a

Several gunmen were killed in the Southern Syrian province of Dara'a after Free Syrian Army-affiliated rival terrorist groups engaged in fierce clashes on Wednesday.

The FSA-affiliated terrorist groups of Syria's Thowar Front and Liwa al-Mo'ataz Brigade exchanged heavy fire in the small town of Kharab al-Shaham in Western Dara'a.

The infighting broke out after one of the members of Liwa al-Mo'ataz Brigade was killed by the gunmen of Syria's Thowar Front.

Tension among terrorist groups started intensifying after the Syrian Army and Russian military gave an ultimatum to the militants in Dara'a province to surrender to the government forces.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets, managed to drive the ISIL terrorists out of several hundred kilometers of land in Western Deir Ezzur on Wednesday.

The warplanes struck ISIL's positions and movements in a region between the small town of Humeimeh up to the border between Deir Ezzur and Homs, inflicting major losses on the militants.

Also, the Russian fighter jets bombed ISIL's movements and positions in a desert on the Western bank of the Euphrates River, destroying several hideouts and tunnels of the terrorists.

In the meantime, al-massdar news reported that the army men have freed almost 600 sq-km of the vast desert in Western Deir Ezzur with the back-up of the Russian air force.

Meanwhile, military-affiliated sources said that the Syrian Army, backed up by local forces, captured the town of Faydah Aj-Jubb, West of the Euphrates town of Al-Mayadeen.

Hasaka

According to Fars News Agancy, the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have expelled refugees from their camp shelters and residential units in Hasaka province to replace them with their comrades and their family members that have fled Afrin under Turkish Army attacks, a media outlet reported on Wednesday.

The Arabic-language al-Watan reported that the US-backed SDF has forcefully evacuated refugees from the town of Ra'as al-Ein to replace them with their comrades and their family members that have fled the Afrin region under Ankara forces' attack.

The daily further said that the Syrian Army has accommodated 11 Afrin Kurdish families in al-Qahtaniyeh region and its surrounding areas in Hasaka province.

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