ISIL Uses Nerve Gas against Syrian Army outside Raqqa

According to al-Mayadeen news channel, the Syrian Armed Forces withdrew from areas they controlled during a three-weeks-long military campaign aimed at recapturing the ISIL bastion in Raqqa after they came under gas attacks.

A field source said the troops were targeted with hand-made produced rockets loaded with nerve gas agents.

Dozens of soldiers were injured in the chemical attack which seems to be the main reason behind the Syrian army’s withdrawal from some Western parts of Raqqa.

Syrian and Russian fighter jets destroyed ISIL’s military positions in al-Tabaqa region of Raqqa province on Wednesday.

ISIL’s armored vehicles equipped with machineguns were destroyed in the Russian and Syrian airstrikes in al-Tabqa-Anbaj and Anbaj-Abu al-Allaj roads and to the Southwest of Zkiyeh in the Western countryside of Raqqa province.

On Tuesday, the Syrian military forces’ strong defense did not allow the ISIL terrorists to advance in energy-rich areas in al-Rasafeh region South of al-Tabaqa airbase, sources said, adding that the ISIL left behind scores of dead members and retreated.

“The ISIL offensives to penetrate into the government forces’ strongholds in al-Thowrah oilfield and along Ithriya-al-Rasafeh road were repelled by the Syrian army men,” the sources said, adding, “Scores of the ISIL members were killed or wounded in the failed attacks and one of them was captured by the Syrian army.”