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Syrian army responds to deadly attacks by terrorists holed up in Dara’a

The Syrian military has conducted retaliatory strikes on the last militant enclave in the southern city of Dara’a after the armed terrorists holed up in the area launched deadly attacks against army soldiers and civilians.

On Monday, terrorists targeted residential neighborhoods and army checkpoints in Dara’a, killing four soldiers and injuring 15 others, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported, adding that a child and her mother were also wounded.

The militants, the report said, used rockets, mortar shells, machine guns and snipers in their raids.

On the same day, Syrian army units deployed in the vicinity of the Dara’a al-Balad district responded to the terrorist attacks.

The retaliatory operation included artillery and rocket fire on the positions from where terrorists fired shells, according to SANA.

The Syrian military said in a statement that it was losing patience with “armed groups and terrorists” in the Dara’a al-Balad neighborhood.

In 2018, the Syrian army, backed by Russia and Iran, wrested control of Dara’a Province, which borders Jordan and is close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 

Under a Russian-mediated deal, thousands of Western-sponsored militants handed over their heavy weapons but maintained grip on Dara’a al-Balad.

Since late July, however, the militants have intensified their attacks targeting residential areas.

In response, government forces have imposed a siege on Dara’a al-Balad, but opened a corridor for civilians to leave.

Terror outfits are seeking to hinder the government’s efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in Dara’a and terrorists keep using locals as human shields.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. Damascus says the Western states and their regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the Arab country.

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