Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Dispatches Hundreds of Fresh Forces to Eastern Homs

A military source disclosed on Wednesday that the Army has dispatched hundreds of its special forces to Eastern Homs province to kick Takfiri terrorists out of the Syrian desert, and then, take part in an imminent operation against ISIL in Deir Ezzur.

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

Homs

The source said that Damascus sent hundreds of its elite forces to the Palmyra battlefront in Eastern Homs as Syrian soldiers were in the last stage of dislodging ISIL from the desert area.

The source went on to say that after completing the Syrian desert operation, the army soldiers would immediately move towards Deir Ezzur to launch an operation to remove the siege on the city and airbase.

The source further added that simultaneous anti-ISIL operations in Aleppo, Raqqa, Homs, Hama and Deir Ezzur provinces significantly narrowed down ISIL’s defense-attack capabilities, promising larger victories against terrorists in coming days.

In the meantime, the army troops continued their operation against ISIL in Eastern Homs and recaptured more positions in Badiyeh (desert), inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

The army units stormed ISIL’s defense lines in Eastern Homs and took back Arak triangle and region and hills overlooking them in Syria’s Badiyeh.

The army forces also drove ISIL out of the third power plan in the region.

Also, the army soldiers fended off ISIL’s heavy attack to retake lost regions in Badiyeh, killing or wounding a large number of militants and forcing their remaining pockets to retreat from the battlefield.

ISIL’s military hardware also sustained major damage in the clashes.

Local sources reported that, the army continued the march on ISIL in the Eastern parts of the provinces of Homs and Hama on Wednesday, retaking control of large parts of Syria’s Badiyeh (desert).

The army troops, backed up by the Russian Air Force, resumed their operations South-East of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), pounding the ISIL in the strategic Bir al-Badiyeh area near the T-3 Pumping Station East of Homs province.

According to a battlefield source, after hours of fierce clashes, the army soldiers liberated the Bir Al-Badiya area, pushing further East towards the T-3 Pumping Station.

The source added that pro-government forces would soon gain fire control over Talileh to force the ISIL terrorists to retreat from their strongholds in the region.

The army men also advanced against ISIL in Eastern Hama towards the last bastion of Takfiri terrorists in Syria’s Badiyeh.

Hama

The army forces, backed up by the country’s Air Force, continued anti-ISIL operations in Eastern Hama and managed to decrease their distance from the terrorist group’s last base in Syria’s Badiyeh (desert).

The Army soldiers engaged in bloody battle with ISIL in Eastern Hama and drove terrorists out of more key positions toward the town of Aqayrabat and al-Bal’as region.

In the meantime, the Russian and Syrian fighter jets pounded ISIL’s strongholds in the towns and villages of Aqayrabat, Hamadeh Omar, Jani al-Albawi and Qalib al-Thor, killing tens of terrorists.

Aleppo

Local sources reported that over 50 civilians and militants were killed in intensified clashes among rival terrorist groups in Northern Aleppo.

The sources said that Turkish army-backed terrorists engaged in fierce clashes with rival militants in al-Bab region and the town of al-Ra’ei and its surrounding areas in Northern Aleppo.

The sources added that the main clash occurred in the villages of Awlan and Sousyan in al-Bab region among Sultan Morad Brigade, al-Hamzeh division, Ahrar al-Sharqiyeh and Faylaq al-Sham.

A sum of 30 gunmen and 20 civilians were killed in the clashes that spilled over to the refugee camp in the villages of Shamarin in Azaz region.

Other sources in Northern Syria said reported that, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ambushed a group of militants that are under the Turkish Army’s back up, killing almost 30 of them in Western Aleppo.

The Kurdish fighters stormed the Ankara-backed militants of the Euphrates Shield that were advancing in areas near Dar al-Izzah and Deir Sam’an in Western Aleppo, destroying three military vehicles and killing 28 fighters.

Based on field reports, the death toll among the Euphrates Shield forces is most likely to increase due to the critical condition of those injured in the attack.

Idlib

The Russian Defense Ministry said that more gunmen in almost 50 towns laid down weapons and joined peace agreement with the Syrian Army troops in the Northwestern province of Idlib.

The defense ministry announced that militants in 47 towns in Idlib province joined the reconciliation plan only on one single day, adding, “Total number of towns, villages and regions that have thus far endorsed the peace agreement with the Damascus government stands at 1,619 now.”

The ministry went on to say that peace negotiations with militants were underway in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs and Quneitra.

Raqqa

Local source reported on Wednesday  that tens of civilians were killed or wounded in the US-led coalition fighter jets’ attacks in Raqqa and Deir Ezzur provinces.

The coalition warplanes targeted the village of Kasra Sheikh Jom’ah in the Southern countryside of Raqqa city, killing a five-member family, including three children.

In the meantime, the fighter jets bombed the waterway in the town of Deiban in the Southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzur city, killing three civilians and wounding several more.

Also, the Syrian Army troops continued to advance against ISIL in Western Raqqa and managed to recapture more lands, killing and wounding a number of terrorists, field sources said.

The sources reported that as a tough battle for ISIL’s so-called de facto capital, Raqqa, has started, the army soldiers managed to recapture several towns and villages in the Western part of the province.

The sources said that the pro-government forces liberated several more points along with Rusafa Juncture — a crossroad linking the town of Rusafa and the al-Tabaqa airbase — after killing and wounding scores of ISIL militants.

They added that the aim of the Syrian Army’s operation was to force the ISIL members to retreat from the Khanasser plains in Southeastern Aleppo, securing the Ithriya-Raqqa and Ithriya-Khanasser roads.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Air Force launched heavy bombing on ISIL’s military convoys and positions in Western Raqqa and Eastern Aleppo, inflicting major losses on them.

Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed or wounded and the group’s military hardware and vehicles were damaged in the army air raid on Western Raqqa and Eastern Aleppo.

A military source, meantime, reported that the Syrian Army troops intend to launch a fresh round of anti-ISIL operation towards the town of al-Rasafeh, some 30km away from Raqqa city, via the road that connects Raqqa to the town of Ithriya in Northeastern Hama.

Also, a senior Syrian lawmaker revealed that the US transferred the ISIL ringleaders who were originally from the Western states from Raqqa to other regions.

Ammar al-Assad said that the US allowed over 120 ISIL members to leave Raqqa with their weapons and go towards al-Sukhnah to create insecurity in Palmyra (Tadmur) region but the Russian and Syrian fighter jets pounded and killed them.

“The US is highly coorindated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as some of the group’s commanders are from the US, Britain, France and certain regional states. Actually what is happening in the battlefield is against what the media say. Many surprising events happen,” he added.

Al-Assad said that three weeks ago, the US-led coalition planes staged heliborne operations in Raqqa and transferred a number of ISIL ringleaders to unknown places, adding that they were not Syrian, Iraqi or Chinese, but were the western commanders of the ISIL.

Noting that Raqqa was highly important to the US, he said, “How could it be possible for the ISIL and the SDF to arrive at an agreement, despite their ideological differences, that allows the ISIL leaders to leave Raqqa through a safe passage.”

According to reports, the SDF forces held talks with the ISIL to encourage the militants to withdraw from Sad al-Rashid area as well as the towns of al-Mansourah and Hanidah in Western Raqqa without any resistance, and move towards Syria’s Badiyeh (desert).

Reports indicated that Washington prefers to occupy Raqqa immediately without major casualties on the US-backed forces. Also, if the ISIL leaves Raqqa without any clashes, the US would not need the SDF to occupy the city and the territories could be filled with other terrorist groups which were called by the US as moderate militants.

Al-Assad warned that there was a plot to annihilate the Arab countries, adding that the crisis in Qatar was the best instance for this plot and the US would not stop plotting even after this crisis will be settled.

“Actually, Syria thwarted the plot with its resistance and it is merely the Syrian army that will be deployed in Raqqa,” he concluded.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Air Force carried out several combat sorties over ISIL’s defense line South of Deir Ezzur city, destroying three command posts of the terrorists and inflicting heavy casualties on them.

The army aircraft pounded ISIL’s positions in al-Mariqiyeh region East of Deir Ezzur airbase, destroying three command posts and killing or wounding a number of terrorists.

In the meantime, the warplanes bombed heavily ISIL’s positions near al-Thardah crossroad South of al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, destroying seven military vehicles and killing their crew.

Also, the army tanks fired at the positions of a group of ISIL in areas surrounding of Tamin Brigade base, killing six militants.

In the meantime, the army troops and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, backed up by the Russian Air Force, resumed their large-scale operation East of Palmyra city, hitting ISIL’s positions and movement to drive ISIL out of Eastern Homs and advance toward Deir Ezzur, military sources said.

The sources reported that as the army troops and Hezbollah combatants continued their anti-ISIL operation in Homs province to find access to the besieged city of Deir Ezzur, Russian warplanes kept pounding the movements and gatherings of the terrorists in the region.

Also, Russian helicopters played a crucial role in supporting the Syrian soldiers on the frontlines, while the Russian bombers carried out several rounds of combat sorties on ISIL’s supply routes preventing them from deploying reinforcements, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the army and popular forces, backed by the Russian MI-24 choppers, stormed ISIL’s strongholds around the Mustadirah mountain near the Arak Energy Fields.

The Army’s High Command is hoping to capture Arak soon, as pro-gov’t forces begin to shift their attention to the strategic town of al-Sukhnah near the Deir Ezzur.

Daraa

Local sources reported that terrorist groups dispatched hundreds of fresh forces to the Southern city of Dara’a to slow down the Syrian Army troops’ rapid advances.

The sources said that the terrorist groups moved hundreds of their forces from Quneitra to Dara’a, adding that tens of military vehicles and a large volume of weapons and ammunition have been forwarded to Dara’a to stop the rapid advances of the army men.

The sources went on to say that simultaneous with the arrival of fresh terrorists in Dara’a, the Free Syrian Army and Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) called on entire militant groups in Dara’a to stand united against the pro-government forces’ advances.