Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Preempts Terrorists' Offensive in Western Aleppo

Rasa - A group of terrorists failed to prevail over the government forces' defense lines due to the Syrian Army's heavy artillery fire in the outskirts of Aleppo city on Monday.

News ID: 437234

Date: 17 April 2018 - 18:54

RNA - The artillery units, deployed in in the Western countryside of Aleppo city destroyed a military vehicle of Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists that was heading towards the army positions.

A number of terrorists were killed or wounded in the army fire and the remaining pockets retreated.

Meantime, the Syrian army continued its military advances in other parts of Syria over the past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in provinces across Syria.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army's heavy artillery fire prevented a group of terrorists from prevailing over the government forces' defense lines in the Western countryside of Aleppo city on Monday.

The artillery units, deployed in Jam'iyat al-Zahra region in the Western countryside of Aleppo city destroyed a military vehicle of Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists that was moving towards the army positions.

In a relevant development in Northern Syria on Monday, control over several regions was exchanged between Syria's Tahrir Front and Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) following fierce clashes among rival groups in Hama, Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

Syria's Tahrir front managed to drive Tahrir al-Sham out of the village of Tal Aas, Seida siloes, Seida Power Company building and the village of Um Zeitouneh in Southern Idlib.

Also, Tahrir al-Sham took control of the town of Morek and the key trade passageway of Morek.

The two rival groups also exchanged fire near the villages of Ajel and al-Sa'adiyeh near the town of Dar al-Izzah and in the village of Maklibes in Western Aleppo.

A large number of gunmen were killed on both sides of the clashes.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that at least 340 militants were killed in fierce clashes between Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at and the rival terrorist group of Syria's Tahrir Front in Hama, Idlib and Aleppo provinces since mid February.

Hama

The Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) retreated from two key regions in Southern Hama on Monday after the Syrian Army troops launched a large-scale operation.

The army men engaged in a tough battle with the Al-Nusra front and other allied terrorists in Southern Hama and imposed full control over Beit al-Ray and Wadi al-Khanzir South of the village of Qabiat al-Asi.

In the meantime, the army's artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at terrorists' positions in Tal Qantara settlement and the nearby hill and in Mo'adhamiyeh military point, destroying a tank and killing a number of militants.

Earlier reports said that the army troops kicked off a large-scale operation on Monday to purge a vast region among Homs city, the town of al-Salamiyah and Southern Hama of terrorists after the militant groups failed to reach an agreement to end battle with the army.

The army units stormed terrorists' positions in a triangle-like region among Southern Hama, Northern Homs and the West of al-Salamiyah.

The triangle has been used by terrorists to launch attacks on army positions in the villages of Tal Dareh and Qaba al-Kurdi.

The army operation is aimed at cutting off the supply lines of the Al-Nusra front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in the town of al-Rastan and its countryside, the small town of Talbiseh and al-Sa'an region in Northern and Northeastern Homs.

The army is to continue the operation from terrorist centers in Northern and Northeastern Homs to the South-East of the same province and from there it would expand its troops to Eastern and Southeastern Hama to hunt terrorists and restore security to the region.

Local sources reported that the army soldiers, backed up by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets, managed to advance from al-Qantara settlement towards Tal Dareh and Taqsis regions and restored security to the road connecting Tal Almari to al-Qantarat region.

The army operation started after Al-Nusra-affiliated terrorist groups changed an earlier decision to end the battle against the Damascus army in return for government amnesty, which would also entail the reopening of the Hama-Homs highway.

Homs

The Syrian Army forwarded more fresh soldiers and military equipment to a vast region between Southern Hama, Northern Homs and the Western part of al-Salamiyah region amid the army advances in the region on Monday.

According to Fars Nesw Agancy, the army men stormed the positions of the Al-Nusra front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) and drove the terrorists out of Mount al-Jen.

Also, other units of the army, operating in Homs and al-Salamiyah managed to take control of the village of Salim, and two points of al-Madajen and al-Alameh, advancing towards al-Qantarat and Ezzeddeen settlements near Salim.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force pounded terrorists' positions in Taloul al-Hamr in Southern Hama near the battlefield in Northern Homs.

Local sources said that tens of terrorists were killed or wounded and their military equipment were destroyed in the operations.

The sources further said that the army has dispatched a large number of forces and military hardware to regions near the town of Talbiseh and Deir Foul that are the scenes of major battles against the terrorists.

847/940