Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Wins Back Several Key Regions Near T4 Airbase in Homs Province

The army units won back several strategic regions, including hills, to the West of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), in Homs province.

Scores of terrorists were killed and injured as the army was purging them from the newly captured areas in Homs province.

The Syrian army, popular forces and resistance forces also continued their military gains in other key provinces across Syria, inflicting heavy losses on them.

Homs

Syrian Army soldiers continued to beat back ISIL from more key positions near T4 airbase to the West of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), taking control over several hills and regions.

The army men stormed the last positions of ISIL to the South of the Fourth Station and killed all the terrorists deployed in the region, expanding their control over more lands in T4 region.

The army soldiers, backed up by the army’s artillery and aircraft, engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL to the Southeast of the Fourth Station, and could manage to seize control over Ba’ar al-Abu Tawaleh and Jarbou’a al-Azwa buildings.

The army troops launched mop-up operation in the region and chased the rest of terrorists that had fled to the depth of Badiyeh (desert).

The army soldiers also took back several hills overlooking East of the Fourth Station, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Other units of the army targeted heavily ISIL’s gatherings in Tal al-Awamid, al-Bardeh, hills of the village of Mohaseh and the Southeastern region of al-Quaryatayn town, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

Deir Ezzur

The Russian Defense Ministry in a statement said that six Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carried out on Monday airstrikes against new ISIL targets in Syria’s Deir Ezzur province, destroying two command posts, arms depots, a large number of military equipment and terrorists.

“On January 30, 2017, six strategic Tu-22M3 bombers took off in Russia, flew over Iraq and Iran, and carried out a group air attack on new Daesh (ISIL) targets in Deir Ezzur province,” the statement said.

“The destruction of all designated targets has been confirmed by the means of objective monitoring,” the ministry said.

“Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters, which had taken off from the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, provided air cover for the bombers,” it added.

The Russian aircraft safely returned to their home bases after the mission.

Aleppo

Head of Ahrar al-Sham’s Judiciary Board disclosed on Monday that militants of Al-Nusra Front (that have recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) and Nouralddeen al-Zinki have attacked Ahrar’s bases in Dar al-Izza town and managed to take control of several checkpoints.

Ahmad Mohammad Njib wrote in his tweeter account that al-Nusra and Nouralddeen al-Zinki as two main parts of the newly-formed Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at have stormed Ahrar al-Sham’s court building in Dar al-Izza, taking control of several checkpoints.

Militants of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at further chased members of Ahrar al-Sham to seize their vehicles.

Ahrar al-Sham’s Commander Ali al-Omar has previously asked Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at to set up a religious court to solve differences between Ahrar and al-Nusra.

Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at has rejected Ahrar’s demand and called on Ahrar to join Tahrir al-Sham as the only way to end differences.

Local sources disclosed earlier on Monday that fighters of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at, mainly from Al-Nusra Front, are getting ready to engage in a fresh round of clashes with Ahrar al-Sham in Northern Idlib.

The sources said that Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at that includes al-Nusra Front and several other terrorist groups is getting ready to clash with Ahrar al-Sham near Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

They added that the newly-formed coalition has dispatched a large number of its forces to al-Saheh region near Babl al-Hawa, while Ahrar al-Sham and two affiliated groups of Jeish al-Islam and Tajamo Fastaqem Kama Amrat have deployed a large number of fighters in Bab Saqa and Bab al-Hawa.

The sources went on to say that Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at is about to take control of Bab al-Hawa border crossing that is controlled by Ahrar al-Sham.

Hama

The Syrian Air Force launched a fresh round of massive strikes against the gatherings and movements of Al-Nusra Front to pave the way for the ground forces to take back the rest of the lands under the control of the militants in Northern Hama.

The warplanes pounded Nusra’s concentration centers and positions in al-Latamina, Kafr Zita, al-Lahaya and Taybat al-Imam towns, killing at least 15 and wounding tens of others.

Several military vehicles of the terrorists were also destroyed in the air raids.