Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Makes New Gains in Aleppo Countryside

The army units took back the town of al-Rashidiyah and paved their way towards other regions in the Southern part of Aleppo.

The army then focused on advancing towards other regions in Eastern Aleppo.

The Syrian troops killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more 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.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army soldiers raided the positions of the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) West of the town of Khanasser in Southern Aleppo on Friday, imposing control over a key town.

The army soldiers, led by the Republican Guard, stormed the Al-Nusra positions in the small town of al-Rashidiyah near the Khanasser-Ithriya Highway.

Not long after launching the attack, the Syrian Army and their allies announced full control over al-Rashidiyah, forcing the remaining pockets of the terrorists to retreat West towards Idlib province.

The Syrian Army is now pushing West of al-Rashidiyah in a bid to expand their control over Southern Aleppo.

Websites affiliated to the terrorists reported earlier that Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists gained control of the village of Basartoun and Al-Nusra’s checkpoint in Taqad-Abazmo road in an infighting with other members of Tahrir al-Sham militants.

Also, other reports said that during the clashes, Tahrir al-Sham terrorists won control of the village of Deir Hessan in Western Aleppo, expelling Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorists and commanders’ family members from the region.

Hama

Terrorist groups pounded the Syrian Army troops’ positions in Northwestern Hama, military sources reported on Friday, adding that the army later retaliated with opening heavy fire at militants’ center in Northern and Northwestern Hama.

The sources said that the terrorist groups’ missile units shelled the towns of Salhab and Mahradah in Northwestern Hama.

They added that the army’s missile and artillery units hit terrorists’ strongholds hard in al-Zahah and al-Latamina in Northwestern Hama in response to terrorists’ attacks on al-Zalaqi’yat, Halfaya and Zalin.

The army troops kept marching on the positions of the Al-Nusra Front in Northeastern Hama.

The army men pushed Al-Nusra back from the small towns of Al-Baleel and Mariqab al-Jamlaneh that were the terrorist group’s most major strongholds in Northeastern Hama after al-Rahjan.

Also, the army soldiers managed to advance against the Al-Nusra near Tal Khazima and Um Turaykiyeh regions and fortified and stabilize their positions.

Idlib-Hama Border

The Syrian Army troops are mass mobilizing their troops along the administrative border between Hama and Idlib as they prepare to launch their long-awaited offensive to retake the Abu al-Dhohour Military Airport in Eastern Idlib, military sources said Friday.

The sources said that several units from the Tiger Forces, 4th Division, and Republican Guard have been pouring into Northeastern Hama for the upcoming offensive, while their allies from the Russian Air Force heavily bombard positions of Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) in the region.

With a large number of military personnel already in the region, the Syrian Army should be in prime position to launch the offensive to retake the large facility in Eastern Idlib.

The Abu al-Dhohour Military Airport was captured by Al-Nusra in 2015. It was under siege for two years prior to its loss.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops resumed their offensive in Huweija Kateh island North of Deir Ezzur city, targeting the last positions of the ISIL in the Northeastern part of the island, field sources reported on Friday.

The sources said that the army men, led by the Tiger Forces and 4th Mechanized Division, liberated several parts of the island, forcing the remaining pockets of the terrorists to retreat to the Northeastern shore of Huweija Kateh.

The sources said that the army soldiers are now in control of more than 80 percent of Huweija Kateh after Thursday’s advance.

However, the army’s main offensive is said to stall in the coming days as the large presence of civilians trapped by the ISIL will force them to negotiate with the terrorist group in order to get them to surrender Huweija Kateh.

Relevant reports said on Thursday that the army soldiers won back control of al-Hamdan airbase near the village of al-Sukriyeh in the Northwestern parts of Albu Kamal during the operations in Southeastern Deir Ezzur.