Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Keeps Rolling on ISIL's Centers in Eastern Deserts of Homs, Deir Ezzur

Rasa - The Damascus Army, backed up by the country's Air Force, continued storming ISIL's strongholds in the Eastern deserts of Syria over the past 24 hours, and captured more areas.

News ID: 439636

Date: 21 September 2018 - 16:09

RNA - The Syrian army stormed ISIL's positions in deserts of Homs and Deir Ezzur, taking control over more positions and military points.

The army men killed and wounded a number of terrorists and captured four more, seizing a large volume of arms and ammunition in the operation.

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.

Homs-Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army, backed up by the country's Air Force, continued storming ISIL's strongholds in the Eastern deserts of Syria on Thursday, imposing control over more areas.

The army forces stormed ISIL's positions in deserts of Homs and Deir Ezzur, taking control over more positions and military points.

In the meantime, the fighter jets pounded ISIL's positions near Aweiraz Dam, Mount al-Abtar, South of Palmyra (Tadmur), near T2 Oil Pumping Station and near Homs-Deir Ezzur border, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

On Sunday, the army forces clashed with ISIL in the Eastern deserts of Homs near the al-Sukhnah desert and roads to the border with Iraq, seizing more lands.

The army units drove ISIL out of the villages of al-Nayarah, al-Rashediyeh and al-Sawarem in the depth of the Eastern deserts after imposing heavy casualties on the terrorists.

In the meantime, the country's Air Force pounded ISIL's movements along contact lines with the terrorists in al-Sukhnah desert to the border with Iraq, near Aweiraz Dam, in T2 Oil Pumping Station and near Homs border with Deir Ezzur, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Idlib

The Syrian Army is building new helicopter fields near the provincial border of Idlib, a military source said on Thursday.

According to the military source, the Syrian Arab Army is building the helicopters fields inside the town of Jubb Ramleh, which is located near the Al-Ghaab Plain of southwest Idlib and Jabal Al-Akrad region of northeast Lattakia, massdar news reported.

The military source said that these helicopter fields will be used for the Syrian Arab Army’s upcoming operations that are expected to take place in northeast Lattakia and southwest Idlib.

While the locations of the demilitarized zones in Idlib have yet to be announced, the Syrian Arab Army expects that they will not include areas controlled by jihadist groups like Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and the Turkestan Islamic Party.

Both the Syrian Arab Army and Russian military have made the key city of Jisr Al-Shughour a top priority because of the large presence of jihadist groups.

Jisr Al-Shughour is strategically located near the Hatay Province and the Idlib-Lattakia Highway, which is another reason why the Syrian Arab Army wants this area cleared.

For the Russian military, the constant jihadist drone attacks on the Humeimim Airbase from Jisr Al-Shughour has prompted them to threaten a large-scale operation to clear this area.

Sweida

The Syrian Army men continued hunting the remaining pockets of ISIL terrorists in the Eastern desert of Sweida on Thursday, imposing control over one of the most important positions of the militants in the depth of the desert.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in all flanks in the Eastern desert of Sweida and captured more positions, tightening noose on the terrorists in Toloul al-Safa.

The army men further advanced in the Eastern part of Qabr Sheikh Hossein region in Toloul al-Safa and seized control over a key hill overlooking a water pond that is the last water source for the ISIL.

ISIL suffered heavy casualties in the operation.

The army men managed to set up more positions in the newly-freed areas.

In the meantime, the army's artillery units and aircraft pounded ISIL's strongholds in Toloul a-Safa, destroying their bases and command posts.

On Wednesday, the army forces engaged in clashes with a group of ISIL militants who intended to break the siege on Eastern Badiyeh of Sweida with attacks against the army positions near Tal Barakat, inflicting heavy tolls on the terrorists.

The army troops also heavily clashed with the ISIL terrorists in 4 operational fronts in Toloul al-Safa region.

Meantime, field sources reported severe clashes in Southeastern Damascus near al-Tanf, adding that the Syrian army forces tightened the noose on the terrorists in Toloul al-Safa by regaining control of new areas.

Also, the army's artillery and missile units heavily attacked the ISIL positions and moves in Taloul al-Safa region, killing a number of terrorists.

Quneitra

The Russian military police and representatives for the Russian Reconciliation Center for the Opposing Sides in Syria jointly patrolled the liberated communities in Quneitra province and the demilitarized zone.

The town of Al-Rafid was the end point of the route coordinated with the UN, located close to the border with the Golan Heights occupied by Israel, TASS reported.

Along the way, the patrol provided security for repair crews, visited schools, hospitals, Russian military police posts and a center for pardoning militants and residents who cooperated with them, as well as those who lived on the territories controlled by them.

Deputy Commander of the Russian Forces in Syria Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko said that the patrol work was conducted in the southern part of the demilitarized zone and its route stretched up to the community of Maariah.

"Throughout this area, we delivered humanitarian supplies to the population that had suffered during the combat operations. We’re monitoring the observance of the agreement in accordance with the UN [Security Council] resolution to restrict weapons near the Bravo Line on Syria’s side. Thus, we’re supporting the UN body that is keeping a close watch on the reconciliation," he told journalists.

According to Fars News Agancy, the Russian military police patrols inspected all routes along the Golan Heights where the UN forces are supposed to be carrying out missions - from the central to the southern part of the demilitarized zone, the lieutenant general said.

"We are confident that the UN patrols will follow in the footsteps of the Russian military police, after performing certain procedures. There have been no UN forces in this neck of the woods for more than six years, and today people see only Russian and Syrian flags here," Kuralenko said.

"I’m confident that our actions will ensure the completion of the tasks by UN forces in the central part of the demilitarized zone, as well as along its southern border. It can be said that, by accomplishing (our) mission in the community of Al-Rafid, as well as in the communities of Adra, Maariah, we paved the way for the UN forces," he noted. Once Russia and Syria’s efforts are completed and the UN flag emerges, peace will finally take root, the lieutenant general assured.

"The actions of the Russian military police and Russian officers have provided stability to the demilitarized zone and (the vicinity) around it, which enabled UN forces to begin their procedures to extend or restore its patrolling zone in order to implement the UN [Security Council] Resolution of 1974," he stressed.

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