Syria in Last 24 Hours: Gov’t Forces Tighten Noose on ISIL Terrorists in Homs Province
Informed military sources said that the army men pushed the ISIL terrorists back from a number of villages and several hills overlooking the region.
Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Hama and Damascus, over past 24 hours.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army’s operations in Syria’s key provinces.
Homs
The Syrian Army troops continued their anti-ISIL operation in the Central part of the war-hit country and extended the range of their advances after capturing 35sq/km of land in Eastern Homs, military sources said on Monday.
The sources said that the army men pushed ISIL back from the villages of Um al-Rish, Rasm al-Nafeh, al-Zibeh and several hills overlooking the region.
They added that the army has imposed control over 35 sq/km of land after the new advances in Eastern Homs, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.
The remaining pockets of terrorists left behind weapons and ammunitions and fled the battlefield.
A military source reported earlier on Monday that the army troops have pushed terrorists back from over 500 sq/km of territory in the Central parts of the war-hit country in their 12-day-long operation in Eastern Homs.
The source said that the army men have captured over 50 villages in 12 days of military operations in Eastern Homs, seizing control over 500 sq/km of land in Central Syria.
The source added that the army men discovered long networks of tunnels dug by the ISIL to connect the terrorists’ position to each other in the villages and town in Eastern Homs.
Hama
The Syrian Army and the Lebanese Hezbollah forwarded a large number of forces and a large volume of military equipment to Northern Hama to face the terrorist groups, mainly the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) in the region, field sources said Monday.
The sources said that Hezbollah has sent a large number of its fighters to Hama after the Al-Nusra and other terrorist groups stormed the army positions.
They added that the army has also forwarded more military equipment to the region after they found out that the terrorist groups plan to attack the pro-government forces’ positions and violate the ceasefire in Idlib and Hama.
The sources further said that the army’s imminent operation in the region is aimed at taking control over the entire Hama province and kicking off an operation against the terrorists in Idlib province, particularly in Jisr al-Shughour, Ariha and several villages in Lattakia province that are still under terrorists’ control.
Reports said earlier on Monday that the army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and fended off their offensive to seize control over al-Salamiyah-Aleppo road near Wadi al-Azib region Northeast of al-Salamiyah.
The army soldiers further reopened the road.
In the meantime, the army units fended off ISIL’s heavy attack on its positions in Wadi al-Azib, inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists.
Damascus
The Syrian Army troops kicked off a fresh large-scale anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta on Monday after the militants blocked all ways to a peace agreement in the region.
The army men stormed terrorists’ positions in Jobar, Ein Terma, al-Reihan and Hawsh al-Zawaherah in the Eastern countryside of Damascus city.
Also, the army’s missile and artillery units pounded heavily terrorists’ positions and supply lines in the region.
A military source reported that soldiers of the Presidential Guard stormed Ein Terma and Jobar as soon as the artillery and missile units ended shelling the terrorists’ defense lines, adding that other units of the army launched attacks on terrorists’ positions in Hawsh al-Zawahereh and al-Reihan.
The source further said that it is the first time that the army carries out anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta from several flanks, adding that such kind of attacks will weaken the militants’ concentration, “and the battle will not last long”.
In the meantime, a military source that is aware of the process of peace talks with the militants said that the peace agreement has failed in the reign due to the differences among the terrorist groups, adding that even the Russian officials that are involved in peace talks in Eastern Ghouta have realized that the terrorist groups are not serious about the talks.
The source said that the Russians also have come to the conclusion that military operation is the only solution to purge the region of terrorists.
Deir Ezzur
The Syrian Army deployed a large number of soldiers and military equipment around Mount al-Thardah 5km South of Deir Ezzur city, fortifying positions in the key region, military sources confirmed on Monday.
The sources said that the army has stationed more forces and military equipment near Mount al-Thardah, fortifying positions against any possible ISIL attack.
Also, the army men carried out mop-up operations in areas surrounding Mount al-Thardah and reopened new roads and passageways towards the hills in the region, deploying artillery, missile units and monitoring positions in the hills near Mount al-Thardah to provide security for safe landing of planes in Deir Ezzur’s airbase and monitor terrorists’ movements, the sources added.
A field source said that the three high hills play a crucial role in supporting military operations in Deir Ezzur city as they overlook al-Mayadeen’s road Southward.
The source went on to say that fresh forces and more military equipment, including Russian-made night hunter helicopters and Su-25 have arrived in Deir Ezzur’s airbase.
