Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Wins Back More Strategic Regions Near Ancient Palmyra

The terrorists sustained heavy losses in fierce clashes with the Syrian government troops near Palmyra city.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Damascus and Deir Ezzur, over past 24 hours.

Homs

The Syrian Air Force carried out tens of combat sorties over ISIL’s movements and gatherings near the T4 airbase in the Western deserts of Palmyra, destroying a command base and an operation room of the terrorists.

The Syrian fighter jets pounded ISIL’s defense lines and concentration centers to the West of Palmyra as well as its movements and roads in Tadmur Badiyeh (desert), near T4 military airport and Jahar gas field, destroying a command base, an operation room and a convoy of ISIL vehicles that included a number of armored vehicles equipped with advanced weapons and missile launchers.

Meantime, the Syrian army troops hit hard ISIL’s defense lines to the North of T4 airbase in Eastern Homs, recapturing several strategic hills and positions and killing or wounding over 40 terrorists.

The army men engaged in hours long clashes with the ISIL terrorists near the village of al-Tayas to the North of T4 airbase and drove the militants out of several key hills and positions, inflicting over 40 casualties on the militants.

The newly-freed positions and hills overlook T4 military airport from South and gas and oil fields from North.

A field sources said that the army men have launched a fresh round of offensives on ISIL’s concentration centers to reinvigorate the security of T4 airbase, drive the terrorists out of the Western side of ancient Palmyra and recapture the nearby oil and gas fields.

Deir Ezzur

Syrian Army troops targeted ISIL’s movements and gatherings in Eastern and Southeastern Deir Ezzur, destroying their bases and inflicting tens of casualties on the militants.

The army units targeted ISIL’s bases near a cannery factory in the town of al-Mayadeen in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, destroying several bases and killing 18 foreign-national terrorists.

The army soldiers also hit hard a base of ISIL’s Hasaba (security and monitoring) Forces in al-Labod neighborhood in the town of Mohassan East of Deir Ezzur city, leaving a number of Tunisian terrorists dead or wounded.

The army men also destroyed three ISIL positions near Deir Ezzur and al-Tharda mountain that were home to a large stockpile of arms and ammunition and two terrorist groups.

The army troops also targeted ISIL’s concentration centers near Panorama, in al-Raqqa bridge, near al-Teyam oilfield, and in the villages of Kabajeb, al-Hosseiniyeh, al-Janineh, al-Baqaliyeh, al-Thardah mountain and to the South of Deir Ezzur airbase, leaving tens of ISIL terrorists dead and a convoy of their vehicles destroyed.

Reports said earlier on Monday that ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in a third round of massive attacks on government forces’ positions in different regions of Deir Ezzur.

ISIL stormed Syrian army positions for the third time with hundreds of militants and heavy weapons to approach Deir Ezzur airport, but the army soldiers warded off their attack.

In the meantime, fierce clashes are underway between the army men and ISIL terrorists near Deir Ezzur airbase and al-Thardah mountain.

A field source said that two groups of ISIL and their military hardware were completely destroyed and almost 100 militants were killed or wounded in clashes that erupted on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Aleppo

The Syrian army troops targeted ISIL’s concentration centers and gatherings in Eastern Aleppo, including in areas near the Kuweires airbase, killing and wounding tens of militants and destroying their equipment on a large scale.

The army units hit hard ISIL’s positions in the region of Rasm al-Harmal al-Imam, Tal (hill) Ahmar and near the Air Force Academy to the South of Kuweires airbase, killing or wounding tens of militants and destroying five vehicles.

Military sources disclosed on Sunday that the army troops were through with logistical and military preparations for massive operations to capture two strategic regions Northeast of Aleppo province.

Army commanders said their forces were fully ready to seize back al-Bab and Deir Hafer regions in Northern Aleppo province.

Syrian army’s large military convoys comprising tanks, armored vehicles, heavy missile launchers and artillery units joined other Syrian army units in Northern Aleppo province to start their large-scale military operation against the ISIL terrorists.

The Syrian army soldiers and popular forces were waiting for a Centcom order to start a massive offensive to push back the ISIL terrorist group from al-Bab and Deir Hafer regions.

Meantime, Russian combat engineers checked about 2,000 hectares of the territory in the Syrian city of Aleppo and defused more than 24,000 munitions, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ International Mine Action Center Igor Mikhailik said on Monday.

“Field engineers are an international profession. We would like to see combat engineers not only from the Russian Federation but also from other countries,” Mikhailik said.

Since the start of Russia’s anti-terror operation in Syria, “about 2,000 hectares have been checked and over 24,000 munitions have been defused,” he said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on December 23 about the completion of the operation for the liberation of Aleppo.

Russian combat engineers are currently helping clear the city’s buildings of mines. As the Russian Defense Ministry said, representatives of the so-called moderate opposition mined “literally everything,” even children’s toys, before leaving Aleppo.

Damascus

The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced on Monday that over 1,200 militants in Northwestern Damascus have been granted government amnesty.

The Russian center disclosed through the Russian Defense Ministry’s bulletin that over 1,200 militant that had laid down their arms and joined the nationwide peace agreement have been granted government amnesty and have returned to normal life in Wadi al-Bardi, adding that the rest of the militants that did not intend to join the peace plan with the Syrian Army have left the region for Idlib along with their families.

“Two of the nine towns in Wadi al-Bardi region in the Damascus province (Hosseiniyeh and Bargaliyeh) have signed ceasefire agreements. Meantime, representatives of the other seven towns (Kafr al-Awamid, al-Souq Wadi al-Bardi, Deir Qanoun, Deir Makran, Kafr al-Zeit, Basimeh and Ein al-Fijeh) have expressed willingness to join the truce agreement. In total, 1,268 insurgents have left these towns,” the Russian Defense Ministry’s bulletin said.

The Russian Defense Ministry pointed out that most of the militants had laid arms and returned to peaceful life.

“The rest have received an opportunity to leave for Idlib province with their families,” the bulletin added.

Quneitra

Terrorists of Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham Front continued their joint attacks on government forces’ positions in Northwestern Quneitra, but failed to advance for the second day in a row.

Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham used tens of forces in their fresh round of attacks on army positions to the South of the town of Hader and Tal (hill) al-Hamriyeh, but the army units, including the Golan Regiment, and popular forces fended off their offensive, inflicting at least 30 causalities on them.

Terrorists’ attacks on government positions mainly focused in al-Dalafeh region between the towns of Hader and Jabatha al-Khashab.

Meantime, a field sources said that terrorists are trying to occupy Hader and simultaneously lift army’s siege on their comrades in Southwestern Damascus.