Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Regains Control of More Areas in Deir Ezzur

The army units drove terrorists out of key areas and their surrounding areas in Deir Ezzur province.

The Syrian troops inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists in fierce clashes over controlling of strategic regions. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.

The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian troops extended the range of their advances in Southwestern Deir Ezzur to protect security of the reinforcements’ convoys after breaking the terrorists’ siege on the city.

The Syrian army units continued military operations in the Southwestern parts of Deir Ezzur on Thursday, advancing more in regions near Brigade 137 base and establishing security for the arrival of fresh forces’ convoys.

Meantime, the Syrian fighter jets launched heavy airstrikes on ISIL positions and points in al-Malehah and Tharda regions, areas near al-Tayyem oil field and the villages of Shoula, Ayyash and al-Baqiliyeh, killing a large number of terrorists.

Deir Ezzur Governor-General Mohammad Ibrahim Samra said on Wednesday that the Syrian Army troops are getting ready to launch an imminent operation to remove ISIL terrorists’ siege of the military airport in the Southern outskirts of Deir Ezzur city.

Ibrahim Samra said that the army will start another operation to lift ISIL’s siege of Deir Ezzur’s airbase in the coming hours.

“In the coming hours, the advancing units of the Syrian army will start fresh operation to break ISIL’s siege of Deir Ezzur’s military airfield, as well as the civilian quarters of Harabush, Jafrah and al-Sina’ah,” Samra said.

“The coalition has played a negative role in the clashes in our region. It has destroyed a lot of our buildings, schools, bridges, universities, power stations and other important objects in the province. All this actions supported the terrorists. Yesterday, the coalition opened fire on civilians. A lot of people died in the regions of al Salehiyeh, al Mayadeen and Albu Kamal,” Samra said.

Samra went on to say that the airstrikes by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets have destroyed a lot of ISIL’s strongholds including those in the regions of al-Baqaliyeh, al-Ayyash, Ein Abu Juma, al Tabna, Mount Thardah and al Tih.

Syria’s New Anti-Tank Weapon

The Syrian army is using the anti-tank Degtyarev weapon to smash the terrorists’ armored vehicles in different parts of the country.

According to the Arabic service of Sputnik news agency, the Syrian army forces utilize the weapon to blow up light armored vehicles, including the BMP and BTR.

Degtyarev is able to destroy armored targets with the thickness of 30mm from regions 300m away as well as vehicles with the thickness of 40mm from areas 100m away.

Military experts believe that the weapon enjoys high destructive power despite the fact it is an arms system produced decades ago.

Relevant reports by Sputnik also said on Wednesday that the Syrian Army is utilizing AMR-2 M equipment mounted on T-72 tanks in its Deir Ezzur operation.

It reported that AMR-2 M Machinery, used by engineering units, can be mounted on Russia-made T-72 tanks, adding that the equipment was used in the Syrian Army troops’ operation to destroy or push away barriers planted by ISIL terrorists in front of the pro-government forces in the Western outskirt of Deir Ezzur.

The tanks that carry equipment can travel at the speed of 60km/h, the report said, adding that the AMR-2 M Machinery enjoys one PKT 7.62mm machinegun and two operators.

Military experts reported in mid-August that the army recently started using the Russia-made MT-LB armored vehicles for the safe transfer of soldiers to the frontlines in the war-hit country.

The military experts said that MT-LB armored vehicles, manufactured in Russia, could boost the Syrian Army’s strength for a safer dispatch of soldiers to the battlefields.

Sputnik reported that the MT-LB vehicles were used for transfer of cannons and their crew.

Sputnik added that different weapons could be easily mounted on the MT-LB vehicles.

Hama

The General Command of the Syrian Army announced in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli warplane’s airstrikes on army positions in the Western parts of Hama city killed 2 Syrian soldiers.

The statement said that the Israeli fighter jet launched missile attacks on one of the Syrian army bases near Masyaf region in Southwestern Hama through the Lebanese airspace, killing two Syrian soldiers.

It added that the attack was a desperate attempt to heighten the lost morale of the ISIL terrorists after the Syrian army’s major victories against the terrorism in several regions.

Idlib

Nine terrorists of Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) were killed and several more were wounded in a large blast in the Northwestern city of Idlib, news websites affiliated to the terrorist groups reported on Wednesday.

The websites reported that nine Al-Nusra members were killed and several more were wounded in a huge explosion near the Municipality Sports Stadium in the militant-held city of Idlib.

In the meantime, Al-Nusra announced that a number of its forces have been injured in the explosion of vehicles carrying ammunitions.