Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Purges Terrorists from More Regions in Deir Ezzur Province

The army units also pushed back terrorists from more regions West of the Suspension bridge over Euphrates River in Deir Ezzur.

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.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army units managed to advance against the ISIL West of the suspension bridge over the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzur city, military sources confirmed on Sunday, adding that a number of terrorists have surrendered to the government forces after the advances.

The sources said that the army men, who liberated the entire neighborhoods in Deir Ezzur city on Friday, continued to hit ISIL’s defense lines West of the suspension bridge, imposing control over Huweija Kate’a region.

The sources further added that 20 ISIL terrorists laid down their weapons and surrendered to the army men after the government forces took control over Huweija Kate’a.

The army men further stormed ISIL’s defense lines in the small town of al-Janbiyeh on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

The provincial capital of Syria’s Deir Ezzur province has been declared entirely liberated following months-long battles with the ISIL group, as the city has a strategic importance for the Syrian government for being the country’s oil-rich province.

The General Command of Syrian Army and the Armed Forces announced that full security and stability was restored to the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur.

“After a series of operations, the armed forces, in cooperation with the supporting and allied forces, restored security and stability to Deir Ezzur city,” the General Command said in a statement on Saturday.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops engaged in hours-long clashes with Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Northeastern Hama and captured another strategic region on Sunday.

The army men advanced against the Al-Nusra North of Sheikh Hilal-Ithriya Highway, overran the frontier town of Mosheirefeh which is close to the recently-liberated village of Abu Lefeh, as the advance put the Damascus troops one step closer to the militant heartland in the Idlib province.

In addition to expanding the buffer zone around the main supply line leading to Aleppo, pro-government forces have secured a launchpad for an assault on the nearby Al-Nusra bastion town of Rahjan which represents the next immediate target for Syrian army troops.

Idlib

The Syrian Army troops are ready to kick off an imminent large-scale operation in Idlib province after government forces’ advances in Northeastern Hama near the border with Idlib and the heavy Russian airstrikes on Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) positions in Idlib, a field source said Sunday.

The source said that the Russian Air Force has begun bombing the Eastern territories of Idlib province, striking Al-Nusra strongholds around the strategic Abu al-Dhohour Military Airport.

The Russian bombers flying out of the Humeimim Airfields launched over 20 airstrikes in Eastern Idlib, the source said.

The Russian air attacks come just days after the Syrian Army and its allies started military operation in Northeastern Hama, sealing the Hama-Aleppo road, and also building a large buffer-zone West of the Ithriya-Khanasser Highway which is the Syrian government’s main supply route to Aleppo city.

The source further said that the army is planning to capture Abu al-Dhohour base in Eastern Idlib.

The source added that liberation of Al-Nusra’s vital base, al-Rahjan, will also pave the ground for the launch of a large-scale military operation in two flanks in Southern Aleppo and Eastern Idlib.

The Syrian Army High Command announced in a statement last week that General Mohammad Khaddour would be leading the operation to retake the Abu al-Dhohour Airport.

General Khaddour would also lead the operations to recapture the town of Abu Dali in Northern Hama, the statement added.

General Khaddour is considered as one of the most experienced officers in the Syrian Army; he is also the commander of the elite 3rd Legion.

A military source said that the Idlib operation would not likely begin for the next few weeks, as the army needed to secure their main supply route to Aleppo province.