Syrian Army Launches Heavy Battle against Terrorists in Idlib

The Syrian army began a heavy battle against armed rebels in the Northern province of Idlib in a bid to push back and purge terrorists from the area.

The army’s artillery unit fired shells at terrorists’ positions near Sarmin region in Idlib province.

Meantime, thousands of civilians had to evacuate their homes in Sarmin where battle was going on between the Syrian army and the terrorists. The terrorists broke into people’s houses in Sarmin after residents in the area fled their houses in fear.

Earlier this week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed that the Syrian army took back the lead on the ground, noting that the foreign-backed armed groups suffered severe blows.

“The Syrian army took back the lead on the ground as it secured important achievements which will be announced soon. The army prevented the militants from completely controlling Syria’s provinces, hence the armed groups’ court was still in Turkey, Jordan and somewhat Lebanon,” a man who had a three-hour meeting with Assad quoted the Syrian president as saying, the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar reported.

“One man who had a three-hour meeting with Assad was surprised that the Syrian President meets many of the visitors in his Damascus’ Rawda castle. His team carries out its work as usual,” the daily said.

Terrorists have tried hard in the last few months to make Syrian cities unsafe, specially for citizens, but the army has purged them from most neighborhoods and districts, killed hundreds of them and arrested many more.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.