Syria in Past 24 Hours: Army Captures Key Town in Hama after 3 Years of Terrorists’ Occupation

Hama

The army units stormed ISIL’s positions in the town of Jana al-Albawi from several directions and took it back after three years.

Meantime, the army men drove ISIL out of the strategic al-Mahasah hill and later advanced towards the Northern entrance of the town of Aqayrabat, the ISIL’s main stronghold in Eastern Hama.

ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the attacks.

In the meantime, the Syrian Air Force bombed ISIL’s gathering in the town of Salba in Eastern Hama, killing a large number of terrorists and destroying several military vehicles.

Also in the past 24 hours, almost 700 tribal volunteer forces have joined the Syrian Army troops in battle against ISIL in Badiyeh desert in Eastern Hama and Homs, a military source disclosed on Wednesday.

The source said that a growing number of tribal forces have joined the army in Syria’s Badiyeh in recent weeks.

The source further said that over 350 tribal forces are fighting against ISIL along with the army in Ithriya region in the Eastern direction of the town of al-Salamiyah, adding that the tribal forces have played an effective role in laying siege on ISIL in a region between Ithriya in Hama and Mount al-Sha’er in Homs.

He went on to say that over 250 tribal fighters and the National Defense Forces joined the army soldiers in Syria’s Badiyeh at the beginning of this week, while another two groups with 100 fighters participated in clashes in Badiyeh and al-Sukhnah region. The operation is aimed at removing the siege on Deir Ezzur

The tribal fighters’ partnership in the war on ISIL in Badiyeh is of significant importance because the tribal forces have good geographical knowledge of the region, meantime, they can bear well bad weather conditions of Badiyeh.

Aleppo

A 47-member group of militants handed over their weapons to the Syrian Army and applied for government amnesty West of Aleppo province, a well-informed source said on Wednesday.

“Forty seven militants from de-escalation zone number one in Aleppo province laid down their arms and were taken to the territories controlled by the Syrian Army,” the source said.

“Now they have been sent to the city’s security committee to deal with their amnesty request,” the source said.

Also in the past 24 hours, a number of Ankara-backed militants were killed in exchange of heavy fire with the Kurdish fighters in Northern Aleppo, a Kurdish media outlet reported.

The Kurdish-Language Hawar news reported that artillery units of the Turkish army and its affiliated militant groups shelled the villages of Tal Maziq, Samouqeh, Hasiyeh, Sha’aleh, Sheikh Issa and Tal Allah in al-Shahba region.

It added that the Kurdish fighters’ mortar and missile units, in response, targeted regions around the town of al-Bab, killing a number of militants affiliated to the Turkish army.

Hawar news further reported that the Kurdish troops’ missile and mortar units targeted the gatherings of militants in the town of Mare’a, inflicting several casualties on them.

The news agency added that later the militants opened fire at Tal (hill) Qastal in Shera region and Tal al-Shahideh Barin in Afrin region.

Homs

The Syrian Army soldiers captured over nine towns and villages in Eastern Homs on Wednesday.

The army men stormed ISIL’s defense lines and drove terrorists out of the villages and towns of Qala al-Tayebeh, Zahar al-Hamra, Sideh al-San, al-Latoum al-Sharqi, al-Latoum al-Qarbi, Sheikh Ebrahim, al-Qabab al-Faranciyeh, Qasr al-Hayer al-Sharqi and al-Souq.

In the meantime, a military source said that the army inflicted major losses on the terrorists, destroying their command centers, and arms and ammunition depots in mountainous regions.

The source added that the army seized a large volume of arms, ammunition and bomb-laden vehicles.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops managed to drive ISIL out of several key regions in areas surrounding the newly-liberated town of al-Sukhnah after tough battle with terrorists in Eastern Homs.

The army men prevailed over ISIL’s defense lines and took control over Wadi Abu Zeleh region in Eastern Homs and managed to deploy in Khashm al-Zoweihak region Northeast of al-Sukhnah.

Also, the army units captured Qara al-Arizah region and Qara al-Tahin and Qobour al-Sha’alan hill and some of the heights overlooking Qara al-Arizah and Southeast of Khirbet al-Haywaniyah and West of mount al-Sha’er.

In the meantime, Mount al-Hajanah and Rajm al-Hajanah region came under control of the army.

The Syrian Army also secured the road and hilltops alongside al-Sukhnah-Deir Ezzur highway as well as areas within a 20km distance from the road.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian and Russian fighter jets carried out a number of combat flights over ISIL’s positions and gatherings in the outskirts of the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur, while the country’s army soldiers destroyed a main supply line of the terrorists in the region on Wednesday.

The warplanes bombed heavily ISIL’s movements and concentration centers in Tal Alloush region and supply lines of the terrorists in al-Maqaber (cemetery) region and along the raod to Wadi al-Thardah.

Several ISIL vehicles were destroyed and 15 terrorists were killed in the attacks.

Meanwhile, the army soldiers started clashes with ISIL in al-Maqaber region and al-Roshdiyeh neighborhood, and reports said a number of militants have already been killed or wounded in the clashes.

Syrian Army units also destroyed a vital underground supply line of ISIL in Deir Ezzur city.

Syrian soldiers managed to destroy a 30-meter-long tunnel in Deir Ezzur’s al-Arfi district which was used to transit militants to and from the battlefield, killing scores of terrorists.

Also in the past 24 hours, people in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur raided an ISIL command center, and killed all the terrorists inside, local sources reported.

The sources said that civilians in the town of Hajeen in Eastern Deir Ezzur stormed one of the command centers of ISIL’s Islamic police and set it on fire, killing the entire terrorists inside.

The sources further added that a number of residents in the town of Qaranij in Eastern Deir Ezzur attacked an ISIL hideout and freed nearly 50 captives.

Also, residents of the village of Buqrus set fire at an oil tanker of ISIL, the sources said.

They went on to say that Abu Ma’az Ordoni, one of the security members of the ISIL in the regional governor’s office, was killed by unknown attackers, adding that Ma’az’s body was found near al-Qatar housings North of Deir Ezzur city.

Also, ISIL executed Ali al-Razi, one of its media staff, on charges of fleeing the region after a large number of ISIL commanders and fighters fled the region.

Raqqa

The UN has expressed “deep concerns” over the mounting number of civilian casualties in Raqqa inflicted by US-led coalition airstrikes, condemning “any attack directed against civilians or civilian infrastructure.”

“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us they are deeply concerned by unconfirmed reports of a high number of civilians killed by airstrike in Raqqa city over the last 24 hours,” Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters.

“In recent days and weeks scores of civilians have reportedly been killed and injured in Raqqa due to airstrikes and shelling and up to 25 thousand people remain trapped in the city,” Dujarric said.

“The UN condemns any attack that is directed against civilians or civilian infrastructure. We urge all parties fighting in Raqqa and across Syria to take every possible measure to spare and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as in line with obligations under international humanitarian law,” he added.

According to reports, US-led coalition air strikes have killed hundreds of civilians in Syria. The air raids have resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to tens of thousands of civilians fleeing their homes and becoming internally displaced.

Qalamoun

The Syrian army troops and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters pushed ISIL back from nearly 45sq/km of area in the heights along the two countries’ border on the fourth day of their joint operation against terrorists.

The pro-government forces, backed up by artillery and missile units and country’s Air Force, continued to advance against ISIL in the Western Qalamoun region from the Northern, Eastern and Southern flanks and managed to impose control over a 44sq/km area.

The army and Hezbollah forces operating in the Eastern flank advanced from San Fikha-Mosul heights Westward and joined their comrades advancing from Ajloun al-Kabir heights in al-Rasi towards South, a field source said, adding that the government forces later took control over the San Fikha passageway that links al-Brij heights in Syria to al-Qa’a heights in Lebanon.

The army and resistance forces further won control over the regions of Tal Satouf, Wadi al-Soqour, Sho’abh Ali Amin, Qala al-Hamam, Wadi al-Zoweitineh, Morafa Harf al-Jub, Khirbet Beir al-Aqa, Sho’aba Beir Abu Ali, Sho’aba al-Konz, Sho’aba al-Khabiyeh, Sho’ab al-Hadiqa, Mortafa Shamis al-Hamayel, Sho’aba al-Naza’yee, Sho’aba Fanish, Jub Khoulah, Zalil Khomam, Sho’aba al-Haloush, Wadi Khomam, Sho’aba al-Sobouh, Sho’ab al-Bakhash, Sho’aba Masroub al-Qabli, Hart Sho’aba Beit al-Sheikh, Sho’ab al-Masroub al-Shamali, Sho’aba Beir al-Shayah and Wadi al-Najas, laying siege on terrorists in the region.

The Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah fighters, meantime, imposed control over 75 percent of Mira passageway that links al-Qareh heights in Syrian to Arsal heights in Lebanon.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Lebanese army troops liberated the main part of the ISIL-held heights at border with Syria, a military source confirmed on Wednesday, adding that the government forces are on threshold of ending the Fajr (Dawn of) al-Jaroud operation after capturing the remaining 20sq/km of the heights from terrorists.

The source said that the army managed to impose control over 100sq/km area in ISIL-held heights after liberating Ra’as al-Kaf in Ra’as al-Ba’albak.

In the meantime, Major Ali Qansou, the politburo chief of the Lebanese Army, said that only 20sq/km area in Wadi Martabiya region is still under the occupation of ISIL, adding that Fajr al-Jaroud operation has materialized its objective of imposing full control over all heights at the country’s border with Syria.