Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Advances in Multiple Fronts

The army units backed by Hezbollah fighters and the Russian air force repelled the militant groups on multiple fronts.

Aleppo

Local officials said that tens of militants were killed or wounded in heavy clashes with the Syrian Army troops near the Air Force Academy on the outskirts of the city of Aleppo.

The sources said that the militant groups suffered heavy casualties in the abovementioned clashes, and their ammunition depot, military equipment and vehicles were destroyed by the army heavy fire on their positions.

The Syrian Army and popular forces on Friday repelled massive attacks of the al-Nusra Front to seize control over the government forces’ supply route to the Northern city of Aleppo.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front launched massive assaults against the positions of government forces to take control over the Khanasser Highway, but they failed due to the strong reaction of the Syrian army troops positioned in the area.

The attack began when al-Nusra conducted an assault on the Syrian army’s defense lines to the East of Al-Si’in to cutoff the road from the strategic town of Ithriya to the Khanasser Highway; if al-Nusra was successful in this military endeavor, they would have successfully positioned themselves to obstruct this important roadway.

Meantime, the Syrian Army and popular forces, in a series of joint operations, pushed back militants from al-Jabboul village in Eastern Aleppo on Saturday, bringing the number of the villages liberated in the Northern Province in last three days to 17.

The terrorist groups pulled back forces from the al-Jabboul village and its nearby areas after their positions came under heavy attacks of the Syrian army and popular forces.

The militants also suffered heavy casualties in the army troops’ attacks.

Hama

Jeish al-Fath militant group’s strongholds in Kafr Zeta in Hama province came under heavy air raids by the Syrian air force on Saturday, local sources said, adding that the massive aerial bombing has inflicted large casualties on the terrorists.

Kafr Zeta was the scene of massive airstrikes of the Syrian warplanes, which bombed the militant gathering centers, resulting in destruction of the terrorists’ hideouts and military equipment, the sources said.

The sources further added that the militant groups sustained heavy death toll in the air attacks.

Also on Saturday, the sources said that the ISIL Takfiri terrorists’ hideouts in Tal Mahsar village near al-Hamra town were targeted by the Syrian jets, in which the militants’ ammunition depots were destroyed.

In the meantime, the Syrian warplanes carried out airstrikes on ISIL hideouts in the villages of Rasm al-Tineh, Dabaret al-Dibeh, East of al-Sheikh Hilal,  South of Ethria and Uqairibat in the Eastern countryside of the Hama province, leaving many terrorists killed or wounded and a long convoy of their military vehicles destroyed.

Sweida

Syrian Air Force fighter bombers carried out several sorties over the militants’ positions in the Northeastern parts of Sweida province, and targeted their razed their positions and facilities to the ground.

The militant hideouts in Tal Sa’ad and Khirbet Sa’ad in the Southern province of Sweida were targeted by the Syrian fighter jets, in which the terrorists’ ammunition depots, military equipment and logistic vehicles were destroyed.

Lattakia

The Syrian Army announced on Saturday that its forces have advanced against the militant groups in parts of the coastal province of Lattakia and recapture the strategic Hills of Katef al-Ghader after heavy clashes with the terrorists.

Militant strongholds in the Hills of Katef al-Ghader in ‎Lattakia Mountains were stormed by the Syrian army troops, who killed and wounded the militants positioned across the hills and retook full control over the fighting area.

Spokesman for the Syrian Army General Ali Maikhoub said on Friday that at least 300 militants have been killed by the country’s soldiers in various battlefronts of the coastal province of Lattakia.

“More than 300 terrorists were killed in Lattakia province,” Maikhoub said, added, “Our troops have control over Jub al-Ahmar and the Salma village.”

Homs

Syrian fighter jets’ continued bombing of the militant groups’ positions in the Central Province of Homs left scores of the terrorists dead or wounded and their military equipment destroyed, the Syrian army said on Saturday.

The sources said that the Takfiri terrorists’ hideouts and a rocket launching pad were destroyed as a result of the Syrian air force’s airstrikes on their positions in al-Rastan North of Homs city.

The sources further added that the militant centers also came under the Syrian warplanes’ attacks in al-Ghanto and Talbiseh, resulting in heavy casualties of the terrorist groups.

Also in Saturday, the Nusra strongholds in the surroundings of Tirmaala and Jawalik towns were massively bombed by the Syrian warplanes, which resulted in destructions of the militant sits’ infrastructures and ammunition depot.

Idlib

Three senior commanders of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front were killed in a bomb attack on the group’s meeting in the Northwestern province of Idlib.

The local activists identified the warlords as Abu Zubayr Al-Sham, Abu Dujana Al-Ansari and Abu Al-Nasir Al-Jazrawi.

Al-Jazrawi was a Saudi national and the highest ranking commander in this group of killed al-Qaeda emirs.

No one has thus far claimed responsibility for the bombing; however, al-Nusra and their affiliated-faction “Jund Al-Aqsa” have recently been the target of criticism from their allies in “Jeish Al-Fateh” (Army of Conquest) due to their unwillingness to combat the ISIL.

Quneitra

The Syrian Army announced on Saturday that its troops stormed the positions of the militant groups in the Southwestern province of Quneitra, and retook Dahret al-Kassar and al-Seria al-Rabe’a areas after heavy clashes with the terrorists.

The army said that its soldiers alongside popular defense forces seized back Dahret al-Kassar in the countryside of the Quneitra province.

The army added that the militant centers in al-Seria al-Rabe’a came under heavy offensives of the Syrian forces, which resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of the militants and recapture of the area.

Also, at sunrise on Saturday morning, the Syrian Army’s 90th Brigade of the 9th Armored Division, in coordination with Fouj Al-Joulani (Golan Regiment) and Liwaa Suqour Al-Quneitra (Al-Quneitra Hawks Brigade) of the National Defense Forces (NDF), launched a counter-assault at the 4th Battalion Base outside of the town of Taranjah, resulting in a series of intense firefights with the Free Syrian Army’s Southern Front Brigades.