Syria in Last 24 Hours: Syrian Army to Launch Massive Military Operations in Idlib

“The Syrian Army has dispatched massive military equipment and hardware to contact lines with terrorists in Northern Hama, specially in Mahradeh and al-Zalaqiat which are important regions,” the Arabic-language service of Russia’s Sputnik News Agency quoted a military source as saying.

Meantime, the Syrian army continued its military advances in other parts of Syria over the past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army’s operations in provinces across Syria.

Idlib

The Syrian Army in cooperation with Russia has prepared for major military operations in Idlib as the terrorists continue their attacks on government forces’ military positions in Northern Syria, media sources said.

The Arabic-language service of Russia’s Sputnik News Agency quoted a military source as saying that the Syrian Army has dispatched massive military equipment and hardware to contact lines with terrorists in Northern Hama, specially in Mahradeh and al-Zalaqiat which are important regions.

It noted that the Syrian Army has recently heightened its military preparedness in Hama and Idlib battlefields, and said that the major Syria-Russia military operations in these battlefronts are more than any other time imminent due to Ankara’s defeat in implementation of Sochi Agreement to drive terrorists out of the demilitarized zone and reopening of vital highways of Hama-Aleppo and Lattakia-Aleppo.

Meantime, the Syrian Army’s artillery units heavily pounded the terrorists’ movements from the two directions of Hasraya and al-Latamanieh in Northern Hama toward the Syrian Army’s military positions, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on terrorists.

The Syrian Army Attacks took place in response to the terrorists’ attacks on their positions from the demilitarized zone.

Meantime, the Syrian Army’s military units stationed in Northwestern Mahradeh in Northern Hama responded to terrorists’ attacks, and pounded their movements in Eastern Abu Raideh in Northern Hama, inflicting heavy losses and casualties on them.

Deir Ezzur

The US Army continued reinforcing military bases under its control in Eastern Syria despite US President Donald Trump’s declared decision for a pullout of Syria.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) quoted informed sources as saying that a US military convoy comprising 100 military vehicles has entered Syria via the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

It noted that the US military convoy also contained military and logistic equipment and has been sent to the US-led coalition bases in Eastern Euphrates region.

The source reiterated that the fortification of the US military bases in Eastern Syria is still continuing after Trump’s decision to pull out forces from Syria.

Aleppo

The Turkish Army and Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) in close cooperation dispatched over 10,000 terrorists to Northern Aleppo from Idlib and its surrounding areas to prepare for an upcoming battle with the Kurdish fighters in Eastern Syria, media sources reported.

The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper quoted sources close to the Ankara-backed National Liberation Front (NFL) as saying that Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham and Ankara are running close security cooperation.

The sources also reiterated that the recent attack by Tahrir al-Sham at NFL militants in Idlib and its surrounding areas have taken place in coordination with Turkey and with the aim to push them towards Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo and other areas under the control of the Euphrates Shield militants in a bid to engage in a battle against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters in Eastern Euphrates.

The NFL sources pointed to the forced exit of over 2,000 terrorists from Idlib towards regions dubbed ‘Euphrates Shied’ and ‘Olive Branch’, and said that about 500 Jeish al-Ahrar terrorists are slated to leave their positions in Northern Idlib and Lattakia for Northern and Northeastern Aleppo.

The sources reiterated that the militants stationed in Idlib, Hama suburbs, Lattakia and Aleppo who are due to join the Syrian National Army affiliated to the Turkish Army in the upcoming battle against the Kurdish forces in Eastern Euphrates has exceeded 10,000 militants.

Eastern Syria

A large number of refugees left Al-Rakban Camp in the US-controlled al-Tanf region, near Syria’s Eastern borders with Jordan, for Syrian Army positions in spite of terrorists’ efforts to prevent their exit, media reports said.

“Despite a blockade by US-backed terrorists in al-Tanf region near borders with Jordan in recent days, over 200 civilians moved towards Mahin region in Homs province from al-Rakban Camp,” the Arabic-language al-Watan quoted special sources as saying.

The sources added that the terrorist groups, specially Maghavir al-Toura, use refugees of al-Rakban Camp as a winning card to shield themselves in al-Tanf region and its surrounding areas; hence they do not let the civilians move towards areas controlled by the Syrian Army.

They said that a majority of al-Rakban refugees are willing to be relocated to areas under the Syrian Army control, adding, “Many of the young people who have exited al-Tanf region have either joined the Syrian Army or received amnesty and returned to normal life.”

This is while since the conditions of the residents of al-Rakban Camp deteriorates – as they are facing shortage of foodstuff, drinking water, medicine and fuel – many civilians have been killed so far.

A sum of 50,000 to 70,000 civilians are present in al-Rakban Camp, most of them are coming from Eastern Homs and other parts of Southern Syria.