Syria in Past 24 Hours: Army Liberates 85% of Eastern Aleppo

Aleppo

Hundreds of Jeish al-Fatah terrorists left Aleppo on Green Buses after they laid down arms and surrendered to the army and popular forces.

Militants removed barricades at Bab Al-Hadid Square (the Iron Gate) in Southeastern Aleppo and allowed civilians to evacuate the war zone. The militants then laid down arms and surrendered to the government forces.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian government forces detected the terrorists’ warehouse with toxic chemicals in the Northeastern part of Aleppo city.

During clearing and demining activities in the Masaken Hanano district, a Syrian army unit uncovered a large warehouse inside a school building, which was used by terrorists for making shells.
The warehouse reportedly contained explosive materials and equipment for manufacturing rocket shells and weaponized gas cylinders.

Syrian Army troops and popular forces captured more districts in Southeastern Aleppo after brief clashes with Jeish al-Fatah coalition of terrorist groups.

The Syrian pro-government forces stormed the positions of the militants in al-Marja and Sheikh Lutfi districts from the East and forced the terrorists to retreat to the West. Al-Marja and Sheikh Lutfi are situated to the Southeast of Aleppo Citadel.

A few kilometers to the West, fierce clashes are underway between the government forces and terrorists in al-Zeidiyeh and Seif al-Dowleh districts.

Also on Wednesday, Syrian Army troops and popular forces continued to advance against Jeish al-Fatah terrorists and won more districts Southeast of Aleppo city, while tens of militants turned themselves in to the army men in newly-captured regions.

The Syrian pro-government forces, who had freed parts of the districts of Karam al-Jabal, al-Qayoul and al-Farafereh, completed their control over these districts.

The army soldiers and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters pushed terrorists back from the district of Qastal al-Hararmi after liberating the district of Iron Gate (Bab al-Hadid).

Based on reports, tens of militants have fled towards the very few districts that are still under the control of other terrorist groups, while a large number of others have turned themselves in to the army soldiers in Qastal al-Harami district.

 Syrian Army troops and popular forces are now in control of at least 85 percent of Eastern Aleppo districts, hitting hard the positions of Jeish al-Fatah coalition of terrorist groups in the few remaining districts still under their control, field sources disclosed on Wednesday.

The sources said that the army men and popular forces are on the verge of driving terrorist out of the entire neighborhoods of Aleppo city after their victories against militants in the Northeastern districts and recapture of a major part of the districts in the Southeast.

“Terrorists are now trapped in a small area after pulling back forces from the districts in on the Eastern sides of the Citadel of Aleppo and the entire Old Aleppo quarter,” they added.

“Terrorists are now retreating towards the neighborhoods of al-Kalasa, Bostan al-Qasr (Bustan al-Kaser), al-Ansari, al-Mash’had, al-Sukri, al-Salehin, Karam al-Da’ada, al-Nezha and a small part of Sheikh Saeed that have remained thus far under their control,” the sources went on to say.

The latest reports coming from Northwestern Syria said on Wednesday evening that terrorists are still on the run and surrender districts in Southeastern Aleppo without serious resistance as the army’s swift advances have gathered even more pace.

Army units seized back Ma’adi district and its surrounding areas South of Aleppo’s historical citadel after they recaptured Bab an-Nayrab region.

The army also won back al-Qasiliah and Jbb al-Quebeh districts Southeast of the citadel.

War is now underway further in the South near the rims of the city in al-Salehin district, where the army has already captured the Eastern neighborhoods. The terrorists have reportedly taken shelter in the Western parts of the vast district after they escaped from the Old Aleppo quarter that has the Citadel of Aleppo at its center.

An army colonel said estimates show that al-Salehin district will fall to the government troops in the next few hours.

The Syrian forces also took control of Bab al-Nasr, al-Khandaq road, al-Hamidiyeh, Nour Eddin al-Zanki Street and al-Mashatiyeh in Southeastern Aleppo.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops and Hezbollah resistance fighters managed to take control of al-Jadideh district and immediately moved in several directions to beat terrorists back from their positions in al-Kelaseh, Bab al-Maqam, al-Fardos and Karm al-Deada districts after fortifying their positions in vast areas of al-Salehin district.

The terrorists have so far lost over 40 districts and neighborhoods in Eastern Aleppo and are now in control of only very few districts stretching over an area 7 sq/km or less than 10 percent of what was once their territory for 5 years until this last Summer.

Now the army is gaining ground at an astonishing pace and plans to corner the Jeish Al-Fatah terrorists in one single district.

“If the Syrian government forces manage to seize back Karm al-Deada, al-Fardos and al-Kelaseh districts, the terrorists who are in Sheikh Saeed district will come under the Syrian army’s full siege from the Northern and Eastern directions and this region will fall as well,” a battlefield source explained on Wednesday evening.

The source went on to say that the Syrian government troops are likely to be faced with some tough resistance in Sheikh Saeed district which is considered the Southern gate of Aleppo city in the South-East.

The clashes are still underway at the Regional Power Company of Sheikh Saeed in the Eastern part of this vital district.

Damascus

The Syrian army forces, backed by warplanes, started a massive assault on Jeish Al-Islam terrorists in the Eastern parts of Damascus province and gained ground in the first hours of the operation.

The army units inflicted heavy casualties and damage on the terrorists after fierce clashes with Jeish Al-Islam near the newly-freed town of al-Meida’ani in Eastern Ghouta and seized control of all the plants near the town, including three bicycles and motorcycles manufacturing factories.

The pro-government forces also shattered the defense lines of the terrorists near Damascus after killing several militants and moved ahead in Hawsh al-Zawahera farms.

The army and its allies also targeted the terrorists’ gathering centers in Hawsh al-Salehiya village in Eastern Ghouta.

Meantime, the Syrian fighter jets launched airstrikes against the command centers and gatherings of the terrorists in Arabayn, Douma and Harasta cities as well as Jobar and al-Shifouniyeh towns, inflicting tens of losses on the militants.

Also in the past 24 hours, Syrian Army soldiers hit the terrorist groups’ positions hard along their key supply lines in Eastern Ghouta, cutting off the road and inflicting major casualties on the militants.

The army troops managed to shut down the supply route between al-Shifouniyeh and Autaya near Hawsh al-Dawahirah.

The Syrian soldiers also recaptured most of the farms near the Hawsh Al-Shalaq town in Eastern Damascus.

The army units has encircled the positions of the terrorists along a chunk of the Harasta Highway that goes to the key city of Douma.

As Syrian army prepares to start a special operation to recapture Harasta and Douma, Jeish Al-Islam has sent the elderly to negotiate with the Syrian government in order to work out a possible reconciliation agreement.

Also on Wednesday, a Syrian military source confirmed that Israel has launched an attack against a military airport near Damascus, and said Tel Aviv meant to boost the morale of the terrorists through the strike.

Israel launched at 3:00 am Wednesday a number of surface-to-surface missiles from inside the occupied territories to the West of Tall Abu al-Nada hill that landed around al-Mezzeh airport, West of Damascus, a military source said.

The source told SANA that the attack started fire at the site where the missiles hit, adding that no human casualties were reported.

Yet, the source underlined that these “desperate attempts of the Israeli enemy to support the terrorist groups and boost their morale will make us even more determined to cut off the hands of the terrorist agents of the Zionist entity, which should be held fully responsible for the repercussions and consequences of these criminal attacks”.

Homs

The Syrian army fended off an attack by a terrorist group on the Northern part of Homs province as other militants sustained heavy losses in the government forces’ offensive on their gathering centers in the same region.

The army units engaged in clashes with a group of terrorists who intended to penetrate into government forces’ positions in Tasnin village in al-Rastan region in Northern Homs province, killing and wounding a large number of the militants.

The terrorists’ military positions in the villages of al-Tayebeh al-Gharbiyeh, al-Qantou, Kissin, al-Samalil and Abu al-Snasil hill came under the Syrian army attacks which resulted in the death of a number of terrorists.

Meantime, the government troops destroyed an artillery unit and a military vehicle of the terrorists in Um Sharshouh village.

Also, the Syrian fighter jets pounded the ISIL’s military positions in al-Baredeh village and the Eastern part of Maksar al-Hassaan and the town of Jab al-Jarrah in Eastern Homs, destroying militants’ vehicles and fortifications and strongholds.

Idlib

The terrorist groups intensified their missile and mortar attacks on residential areas in the besieged towns of Foua’a and Kafraya in Idlib province on Wednesday to admittedly compensate for their comrades’ defeats in Aleppo.

The terrorists attacked the civilian population in the two Shiite-populated towns of Foua’a and Kafraya with over 600 mortar shells and missiles, including Grad missiles, over the past three days, killing over 24 civilians and injuring dozens more.

The terrorists’ rocket attacks also left many houses and a field hospital flattened.

The attacks were launched from the nearby towns of Binish, Savaqiyeh region, Taftnaz as well as Brouma farms West of Kafraya as well as the town of Ma’ar Tamsarin just to the North of Foua’a and Kafraya.

The terrorists also destroyed a field hospital in Foua’a depriving the wounded civilians from vital medical services.

Later reports said that Abdullah Muhammad al-Muhaysini, the religious leader of the Jeish al-Fatah coalition of terrorist groups, is personally leading the missile and mortar attacks on Foua’a and Kafraya in an act of reprisal for the Syrian army advances in Aleppo.

Sham Times quoted field and local sources as saying on Wednesday that al-Muhaysini has been seen between Brouma farms and al-Savaqiyeh region, adding that the attacks against the Foua’a and Kafraya residential areas are a morale-boost measure for the terrorists who have experienced continued defeats throughout the country in the last several months.

They added that the terrorists deployed in Idlib province rest assured that the clashes in Aleppo would end with their comrades’ defeat and, hence, declined to take part in Aleppo war for the fear of losing their military and human resources.

Meantime, in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops and Air Force targeted the concentration centers of Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib, inflicting major losses on the militants.

The army soldiers targeted the gatherings and movements of Jeish al-Fatah in the towns of Kafr Zita, al-Latamina, al-Halfaya, al-Tibeh and North of Souran in Northern Hama, killing and wounding a number of militants and destroying their bases.

Hasaka

At least three civilians lost their lives and several others were seriously injured after a landmine planted by ISIL militants exploded in a liberated town in Syria’s Northeastern Hasaka Province.

“A landmine that had been planted by ISIL exploded in the Hafayer town South of Hasaka, causing the death of three people from one family,” said human rights activist Wael al-Muhssin.

The explosion, which took place in a public square in the town, also led to the injury of four people, including a 13-year-old boy, two women and a man.

“The wounded were transferred to the Azizieh Hospital in Hasaka for treatment,” an eyewitness told ARA News.

Deir Ezzur

Several Russian fighter jets hammered the ISIL terrorists’ positions in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur on Wednesday morning, inflicting major losses on the militants.

The warplanes targeted ISIL’s defense lines in Thardah mountain, killing or wounding several militants.

In the meantime, the Russian aircraft carried out a powerful assault at the Thayyem Oilfields and Power Station, destroying two technical trucks armed with anti-aircraft machine guns, killing and wounding more than 20 militants.

Sweida, Dara’a

Syrian Army soldiers targeted positions of ISIL terrorists and Fatah al-Sham Front in the Southern provinces of Sweida and Dara’a, inflicting a number of casualties on the militants.

The army soldiers targeted the gatherings and movements of ISIL terrorists in al-Qassr village, some 40 km Northeast of Sweida city, leaving a number of terrorists dead or injured and destroying two military vehicles.

In the meantime, army units destroyed a position, two vehicles and two machinegun-equipped positions of Fatah al-Sham in al-Nazeheen camp in Dara’a al-Balad district.