Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army on Alert in Northern Syria after Terrorists' Refuse Leaving Demilitarized Zone

Rasa - The Damascus Army has been put on alert in Hama and Idlib as terrorists prove adamant to the implementation of the Sochi agreement to set up a weapons-free zone.

News ID: 441128

Date: 20 October 2018 - 12:35

RNA - "A large number of Syrian army troops are on alert in their positions in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib," Field sources in Northeastern Hama reported.

They added that the development came after the terrorist groups avoided implementation of the Russia-Turkey agreement to create a demilitarized zone in Northern Syria.

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.

Hama-Idlib

The Syrian army forces have been put on alert in Hama and Idlib as terrorists prove adamant to the implementation of the Sochi agreement to set up a weapons-free zone.

Field sources in Northeastern Hama reported that a large number of Syrian army troops are on alert in their positions in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib.

The report said the Syrian army troops have also attacked the moves of the terrorists in Hama and Idlib, foiling their attempts to infiltrate into the army-held areas.

Other reports said that while the deadline for the terrorists' withdrawal from the arms-free zone in Syria has ended, they have not withdrawn from their strongholds and rather reinvigorated them.

With the rebels refusing to leave the buffer zone, the Syrian Army has begun mobilizing their troops in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib for a potential military operation against the terrorists.

While the 4th Division has been redeployed to Southern Syria to help with the ISIL offensive, the Tiger Forces and Liwaa al-Quds have remained near the Idlib front in case the jihadist rebels refuse to leave the buffer zone.

As of now, no military operation is planned in Northwest Syria; however, this could change in the next week if Turkey does not convince the jihadist rebels to withdraw from the buffer zone.

Aleppo

Tens of Turkey-backed militia were killed and wounded in the Kurdish forces' repeated operations in Afrin region in the past few days, media reports said on Thursday.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the Kurdish forces attacked one of the strongholds of Firqat al-Hamzeh terrorist group in the village of Kimara in Shirawa region, killing 4 of the militants and wounding 3 others after severe clashes.

Based on the report, the Kurdish forces also targeted a military vehicle of Fayalq al-Sham terrorist group in the village of Kafr Nabu in Shirawa, smashing the car and killing and wounding 5 Turkey-backed militants.

Also, during the Kurds' operations against a military vehicle of Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh on the road linking to the village of Qazawiyeh in Shirawa, the vehicle was fully destroyed, 4 terrorists were killed and 2 others were wounded.

Raqqa

According to Fars News Agancy, French army forces deployed in Syria intend to establish a military base in the US-occupied region in Raqqa.

The Arabic-language Baladi News website affiliated to the terrorists reported on Thursday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are busy with drilling operations in an area stretching from the Brigade 17 region to Sahlat al-Banat region in Northeast of Raqqa city and from Sahlat al-Banat region to the North of the Sugar plant in Northern Raqqa.

It added that operations to build the walls and construction of buildings in the area will start after drilling operations, noting that a military base is due to be set up for the French forces with the aim of supporting the SDF in Raqqa.

According to the report, the US military troops are in talks with the SDF to further equip al-Tabaqah airbase in Western Raqqa and turn it into their new military base in the region next year.

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