Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels Terrorists’ Attacks on Gov’t Positions in Homs

The ISIL terrorists’ attacks to capture the government forces’ positions in Eastern Homs were fended off by the strong defense of the Syrian military men.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Aleppo and Damascus, over the past 24 hours.

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

Homs

Government troops in Syria fended off repeated attacks by several ISIL-affiliated groups on a number of army positions in Eastern Homs, inflicting heavy losses on them.

The army units opened heavy fire on ISIL terrorists who intended to enter several military points in Saniyeh al-Mazibeleh hills in Eastern Homs from the direction of the Fatha al-Mahsa region, Sawaneh al-Mahsa mountain and al-Quaryatayn dam with continued artillery and missile fire.

During the operations, tens of ISIL militants were killed and wounded and several of their military vehicles and equipment were smashed.

Aleppo

The Syrian army units, supported by the Russian air force, started a new phase of anti-ISIL military operations in Eastern Aleppo, and attacked the terrorist groups’ positions in several towns in the region.

The army forces attacked ISIL bases near the strategic town of al-Mahdoum and engaged in heavy clashes with the terrorists.

The army’s artillery and missile units also pounded ISIL positions in al-Mahdoum, al-Zakiyeh and Kishish villages and towns as well as areas near al-Jarrah military airport.

Meantime, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian army and ISIL forces in al-Zakiyeh village. No further report is available on the al-Zakiyeh battle yet.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Armed Forces’ General Command announced in a statement that the US-led coalition’s airstrikes on an ISIL chemical weapons cache in Hatleh village in Eastern Deir Ezzur killed hundreds of militants and civilians after inhaling toxic gases.

The statement explained that after the attack a white cloud was formed on the ground which later turned yellow, adding that these and other signs show a large cache of toxic materials was exploded in the attack.

After the airstrike, hundreds of people, including the militants and a large number of civilians, suffocated to death after inhaling toxic gases.

The statement also said the incident showed that the terrorist groups, headed by the ISIL and the Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) are in hold of chemical weapons and can access, transfer, store and use them with the help of certain regional states.

Stressing that the Syrian army has no chemical weapons and has not used any chemical arms, the statement warned of the dangers of continued chemical attacks by the terrorist groups against the civilians.

The General Command of the Army and Armed Forces had categorically denied allegations and claims circulated by media outlets about the use of chemical substances in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib countryside last week.

“The armed terrorist groups used to accuse the Syrian Arab Army of using toxic gases against them or against civilians at anytime they fail to implement the targets of their sponsors and operators or when they are unable to achieve any advantages on the ground in an desperate attempt to justify their failure and to maintain the support of their masters,” the Army’s general command said in a statement last week.

It categorically denied any use of chemical or poisonous materials in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib countryside, affirming that it didn’t and will never use those materials in any place or time, nor in the future.

The army’s general command held the terrorist groups and those behind them responsible for the use of chemical and toxic substances and the disregard for the lives of innocent citizens to achieve their goals and base agendas.

The United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Shayrat last Thursday, claiming that it was a response to the alleged chemical weapons use in Syria’s Idlib province three days prior.

Dara’a

The Syrian army warded off an attack by the Al-Nusra Front against several military points in Dara’a, inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists.

The Syrian army units engaged in fierce clashes with al-Nusra terrorists who had attacked a number of military positions near al-Manshiyeh district in Dara’a from the direction of al-Khansa school and al-Bajabejeh district, and repulsed their offensive.

During the clashes, the army soldiers also blew up 2 TOW missile bases of the terrorists, 2 tanks and a military vehicle and killed and wounded a large number of militants.

Meantime, the Syrian army units launched heavy artillery and missile attacks on al-Nusra Front bases in al-Sad district, al-Talabiyeh square, the Southern parts of Basari square and areas near the refugees camp in Dara’a, inflicting several losses on the militants and smashing their weapons and ammunition.

Damascus

Syrian army soldiers continued the battle against the Al-Nusra Front near the capital city of Damascus, and opened their way into new areas in Eastern Ghouta.

The army forces extended the range of their advances after heavy clashes with the terrorists in Housh al-Zawahereh in Eastern Damascus, and regained control of more points.

During the operations, they destroyed a tank and a military vehicle belonging to the terrorists and killed 8 militants.

The Syrian troops, supported by the artillery and missile units, also engaged in fierce clashes with al-Nusra militants in al-Qaboun district of Eastern Damascus, killing and wounding several terrorists.

Meantime, the army forces seized back two long tunnels of the terrorists in al-Qaboun.

Idlib

A Syrian military source reported on Thursday that some 22 ranking commanders of the terrorist groups were killed as their meeting came under a fierce air raid by the Russian warplanes in Idlib province.

The military source was quoted by Ruskaya Vesna newspaper as saying that “intel showed Ahrar al-Sham terrorist group commanders were due to hold a meeting in Jisr al-Shughour region of Idlib province on April 10”.

“After gathering the needed intel for operation, they were provided to the Russian air force in Syria and the Russian fighter jets launched a massive assault on the gathering, and killed 22 of terrorist commanders,” he added.

Hama

The Syrian army soldiers, backed by fighter jets, continued military operations against the Al-Nusra Front in the Eastern parts of Hama province, advancing further towards the strategic town of Souran.

The army units advanced in the Eastern parts of Souran towards the town’s cemetery after clashes with al-Nusra terrorists in Northern Hama.

Concurrent with the army advance, the terrorists’ defense lines fell and the militants were forced to retreat.

Meantime, the Syrian air force pounded the al-Nusra Front positions in the two towns of Souran and Taybat al-Imam in Northern Hama, killing tens of militants and destroying their military equipment.

Also, the Syrian and Russian fighter jets launched airstrikes against an ISIL position in Um Mil village in Aqirabat region of Eastern Salamiyeh, inflicting tens of losses on the terrorists and wounding several others.

The Syrian army’s artillery units also targeted the terrorists’ moves in Western al-Salamiyeh, killing and wounding dozens of militants and forcing others to flee the scene.