Syria in Past 24 Hours: Army Drives ISIL out of More Regions in Southwestern Deir Ezzur

Deir Ezzur

The army soldiers have been carrying out Valfajr 3 operation in Southwestern Deir Ezzur to reach the strategic ISIL-held town of Albu Kamal in the Southeastern part of the province.

The army men hit ISIL’s defense lines and imposed control over al-Artawaziyeh region South of T2 oil pumping station.

A military source confirmed that a large number of terrorists were killed and the army tightened noose on ISIL at T2 station.

Also, a Russian media outlet said Wednesday that the Syrian army is using an advanced model of Russia-made T-72 tanks in campaign on ISIL terrorists in Deir Ezzur battlefield, , adding that the tanks were modernized in late 20th century with Italian experts’ assistance.

The Arabic-language website of Russia’s state news agency, Sputnik, reported that the T-72 tanks have been equipped with TURMS-T modern firing system navigation which allows the tank to detect targets from a 5-km distance in days and a 4-km distance at nights and open fire at them with much precision.

The Syrian army’s special forces were utilizing T-72 tanks before the Russian T-72B3 and T-90 tanks arrived in Syria.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops managed to advance against ISIL in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, marching towards the town of Albu Kamal, the terrorists’ main stronghold at the border with Iraq.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL in several flanks in al-Asharah region East of the newly-freed town of al-Qouriyeh, entering several neighborhoods in the region.

A military source said that the army units have gained full control over the village of Tayebeh Jazeereh on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River, adding that that army has reinvigorated security of the regions adjacent to oilfields and Koniko gas company.

In the meantime, local sources in the Southeastern territories of Deir Ezzur reported that the ISIL has fortified its positions at the entrances of Albu Kamal and has planted hundreds of bombs and landmines on the roads to the town.

Also on Wednesday, a number of ISIL terrorists were killed after heavy infighting erupted among them in those neighborhoods of Deir Ezzur city that are still controlled by the militants, local sources confirmed.

The sources reported that Syrian and non-Syrian members of the ISIL engaged in fierce clashes with each other in the remaining terrorist-held neighborhoods of Deir Ezzur, leaving six foreign and two local terrorists dead.

A number of both warring sides were wounded in the clashes.

Hama

A number of ex-officers of the Syrian Army defected the terrorist groups and surrendered to the government forces, militant-affiliated websites reported on Wednesday.

The websites reported that a number of ex-officers and military men that had defected the army and had participated in the military operation against the pro-government forces in the village of Hirbnafsa in Southern Hama left the battlefield and joined the Syrian army again.

The websites further said that the surrendered men further received government amnesty and were transferred to the village of Deir al-Fardis and later to Homs.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at or the Levant Liberation Board) announced that its gunmen have captured 25 villages and hills in clashes with the rival terrorist group of ISIL in Northeastern Hama in the past 15 days.

The Al-Nusra declared in a statement that it has pushed ISIL back from over 25 villages and hills in Northeastern Hama in the last 15 days.

It added that 170 ISIL gunmen were killed, 200 more were wounded and 10 others were captured in the clashes.

Al-Nusra further claimed that it destroyed two tanks and two BMP and several military vehicles, seizing a large volume of arms and ammunition.

Other reports said that over 41 Al-Nusra terrorists, including three commanders, have been killed in clashes with the ISIL in the last 15 days.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian and Russian fighter jets carried out joint combat flights over the positions of the Al-Nusra Front in Eastern Hama, destroying terrorists’ command posts and a military convoy and killing tens of the militants.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily reported that the warplanes bombed heavily the Al-Nusra positions in the villages of al-Rahjan, al-Hamdiniyeh, al-Janinieh, Zaqbar, Jubb al-Sakar, and Boyous in Eastern Hama, killing tens of militants and destroying their equipment.

The fighter jets further targeted a convoy of Al-Nusra North of al-Sahan in Eastern Hama, the paper said, adding that the eight-vehicle convoy was carrying arms and ammunition for Al-Nusra gunmen to launch attack on army positions along the road to Khanasser in Homs province.

Al-Watan said that the Al-Nusra convoy was destroyed in the raid.

Aleppo

The Turkish army troops have deployed in the Northwestern territories of Aleppo province in an agreement with Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorist group, a Kurdish media outlet reported on Wednesday.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the Turkish army reached an agreement with Nouralddeen al-Zinki and deployed in the village of Sheikh Aqil in Northwestern Aleppo.

In the meantime, some other sources in Idlib province reported that 14 armored and military vehicles of the Turkish army along with 3 fuel tankers left Turkey-Syria border for Aleppo, adding that the convoy is bout to deploy in Sheikh Aqil.

Also, Spokesman for Nouralddeen al-Zinki Abdulsalam Adbulrazaq said that they have reached an agreement with the Turkish troops over the deployment of Turkish soldiers at monitoring positions in Western Aleppo.

Idlib

Attacks on terrorist commanders and spreading insecurity have vastly increased in militant-held regions in Idlib province in Northwestern Syria, militant-affiliated news websites reported on Wednesday.

The websites reported that Salah al-Aboud nom de guerre Abu Shadi, one of the commanders of Faylaq al-Sham terrorist group, was gunned down by unknown assailants in a market in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Southern Idlib.

In the meantime, Abu Abdultayer, one of the commanders of Ahrar al-Sham, was also killed by unknown assailants in the small town of Fayloun in Southern Idlib.

Also, five members of Al-Nusra Front were killed and three others were injured in a bomb blast in Tal al-Zahab region near the town of Jisr al-Shughour in Southern Idlib.