Syrian, Lebanese Soldiers, Hezbollah Kick off Large-Scale Anti-ISIL Operation at Common Borders

Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun announced that his forces’ anti ISIL operation codenamed Fajr (Dawn of) al-Jaroud was launched in Ra’as Ba’albak and al-Qa’a heights at Northern borders with Syria.

In the meantime, the Lebanese army’s artillery and missile units and choppers targeted ISIL’s positions near Ra’as Ba’albak.

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen, meantime, reported that ISIL’s casualties in Ra’as Ba’albak and al-Qa’a stand at 1,000.

In the meantime, the Syrian soldiers and the Lebanese Hezbollah kicked off their joint operation codenamed “If You Return We Will Return Again” in al-Jarajeer and Qareh heights in the Western, Northern and Eastern directions of the Western Qalamoun region at the border with Lebanon.

Relevant reports said on Friday that the Syrian Army units engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and drove them out of the Sho’aba Yunes, Harf Wadi al-Dab and Sho’aba al-Mahbas al-Owla heights, Harf al-Hashishat region and the village of al-Hashishat.

The army and Hezbollah fighters tightened noose on ISIL in Qalamoun heights after their fresh advances in the region.

In the meantime, the Arabic-language Elam al-Harbi reported that the resistance fighters, deployed in al-Jarajeer and Qar’a heights in the Western Qalamoun attacked ISIL’s positions and took control of Sho’aba Yunes, Harf Wadi al-Dab and Sho’aba al-Mahbas al-Owla.

Elam al-Harbi also said that the resistance combatants drove ISIL out of Harf al-Hashishat region and the village of al-Hashishat.

The army and Hezbollah took full control of Faliteh heights in Western Qalamoun on July 23.