Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Continues Advances in Eastern Aleppo, Approaches Turkish Army’s Positions Near Al-Bab Town

The army soldiers launched heavy strikes at ISIL’s positions near the town of al-Bab and seized control over the towns of Tal Rahl, Um al-Amd, Serbes, al-Hesamiyeh and Deir Hanta in Eastern Aleppo province on Tuesday.

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

Aleppo

Syrian Army troops continued their advances against ISIL terrorists in Eastern Aleppo and approached the positions of the Turkish soldiers and Ankara-backed militants that are fighting the ISIL in the town of al-Bab.

The army soldiers hit heavy strikes at ISIL’s positions near the town of al-Bab and seized control over the towns of Tal Rahl, Um al-Amd, Serbes, al-Hesamiyeh and Deir Hanta in the Eastern territories of Aleppo province on Tuesday.

The army men also advanced against terrorists in the town of al-Sha’aleh.

The army troops have now significantly decreased their distance from the positions of the Turkey-led Euphrates Shield Operation.

Turkey has sustained great loss and casualties in the fight against ISIL in al-Bab and has failed to strike a victory over the terrorist group.

A Russian expert said earlier on Tuesday that the Turkish army is expected to ask Damascus to assist the Euphrates Shield Operation forces to overcome ISIL in the town of Al-Bab after sustaining a large number of casualties and frequent defeats in the battle against the terrorist group.

The Arabic-language website of Russia’s Sputnik news agency in a Tuesday report quoted Constantin Troyetsiev, an expert in Islamic-Arabic Research Center in Moscow, as saying that the Turkish forces are likely to request the Syrian government for ground and air back up in the war against the ISIL in the town of al-Bab.

ISIL took control of the town of Salfaniyeh; some 6 km away from al-Bab, after the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militant groups were driven back from the town in the weekend.

The Turkish media blamed the country’s Air Force for the defeat in Salfaniyeh, claiming that Turkish fighter jets have failed to render effective back-up for the ground troops.

Deir Ezzur

Six Russian long-range Tu-22M3 bombers launched airstrikes on ISIL arms and ammunition depots in Syria’s Deir Ezzur, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

“On January 24, 2017, six long-range Tu-22M3 bombers that took off from a Russian airfield carried out airstrikes on a terrorist plant producing ammunition and explosives in Tel al-Salhiyeh, ISIL’s arms and ammunition depots, as well as areas with ISIL’s hardware in the Deir Ezzur province,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that all targets have been destroyed.

The Russian Defense Ministry further said that the Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from an airfield in Russia and flew over the territory of Iraq and Iran.

“Su-30SM and Su-35S provided air cover to the Russian bombers from the Hmeimim airbase.”

After successfully completing their combat mission in Syria, the Russian jets returned to Russia.

Damascus

The Syrian army has issued a last ultimatum to Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) terrorists to leave Wadi al-Bardi region for Idlib in the next 48 hours, military sources stated Tuesday.

The sources said that the army has given a two-day ultimatum to the Fatah al-Sham militants in Wadi al-Bardi to leave the region with their families in the latest round of talks between Damascus and militants in the village of Deir Qanoun.

The sources said that the army soldiers have continued their attacks on Nusra militants in the village of Ein al-Fijeh and have already established control over a major part of the region, adding that they are now deployed in the center of the village.

Another field source said that Fatah al-Sham has planted landmines in nearby areas of Ein al-Fijeh water reservoirs to prevent the army’s further advances.

Reports said earlier on Tuesday that the army troops continued their advances against Fatah al-Sham Front in Northwestern Damascus and completed control of 75 percent of the village of Ein al-Fijeh that is home to Damascus drinking water reservoirs.

A field source said that the army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with Fatah al-Sham terrorists and took control of several buildings near the water reservoirs in Ein al-Fijeh in Western Ghouta.

The source added that the army men are advancing against Nusra militants from the Western part of Ein al-Fijeh towards the water reservoirs from the Northern and East.

He went on to say that the army is advancing in Ein al-Fijeh slowly in order not to inflict damage on the water facilities.

The army men have purged terrorists from several buildings near the water reservoirs and a mosque Southwest of the region.

Based on the latest reports the army troops have so far liberated 75 percent of Ein al-Fijeh.

Raqqa

Syrian Army soldiers continued their operations to cut off ISIL’s lines of supply from Raqqa to Aleppo, capturing several villages Southeast of Aleppo province.

The army men, backed up by the country’s Air Force, engaged in fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists in Southeastern Aleppo, taking control over the villages of Um Mayal, Jubb al-Ali and al-Atshaneh in al-Safireh region in the Eastern direction of Khanasser road.

Reports said ISIL has retreated from the region after sustaining casualties.

In the meantime, the army soldiers hit ISIL’s positions in the Western direction of Khanasser road and managed to advance against militants in Shabis mountain.

The army troops are trying to take control of Syriatel hill and cut off ISIL’s communication lines between Raqqa and the regions of al-Bab and Deir Hafer East of Aleppo province.

Also, the army forces continued military operations in Eastern Aleppo on Monday and could liberate two other towns in the region.

The army units and their allies engaged in several hours of clashes with the ISIL terrorists and could retake control of al-Tanbour and al-Mantaf towns located between al-Bab and Aleppo cities.

Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed and wounded during the clashes.

Meantime, the Syrian army targeted the ISIL positions in al-Madiouna and al-Salima towns as well as all the Southwestern parts of al-Bab city by artillery, aerial and missile attacks concurrent with the ground forces’ advances in the region.