Syria in Last 24 Hours: Terrorists Sustain Heavy Losses in Army Offensive in Deir Ezzur

The Syrian army killed and wounded a number of terrorists in the outskirts of the city of Deir Ezzur.

The Syrian army also inflicted heavy losses on the terrorist groups in other key regions across Syria.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian troops, backed by the air force, targeted ISIL’s moves and gathering centers in Deir Ezzur, tightening the noose on terrorists who have besieged the Deir Ezzur airbase and killing tens of militants.

The Syrian fighter jets and missile and artillery units launched heavy strikes against ISIL positions near al-Maqaber (Deir Ezzur’s cemetery) region in the Southern outskirts of the city, inflicting losses on the militants.

Also, the Syrian army units targeted and blew up in air a bomb-laden drone belonging to the ISIL over al-Rawad hill in the Southwestern parts of Deir Ezzur.

Meantime, local sources reported that the ISIL has hidden most parts of the main streets leading to Bu Kamal market with tents and covers to blind army drones.

The ISIL terrorists drove a wedge along the government-controlled regions mid-January after capturing Deir Ezzur’s cemetery and the road connecting the city to the airbase. 14,000 ISIL terrorists launched a massive attack on army positions South of Deir Ezzur city, cutting off the strategic road connecting the city to the military airport.

After several rounds of heavy offensives against the Syrian Army positions that all failed, 14,000 ISIL militants and tens of suicide attackers and bomb-laden vehicles, managed to advance against government forces on the road connecting Deir Ezzur airbase to the city, dividing army-controlled regions in Deir Ezzur into two parts.

Meantime, the ISIL terrorist group executed one of its own senior commanders as he was trying to flee with a large amount of cash from areas under the terrorist group’s control in the countryside of Hasaka in Northern Syria.

Abu Mohammad was captured as he was trying to flee the town of Merkedeh with $150,000 of cash, local sources in Hasaka province disclosed.

The ISIL executed Abu Mohammad after accusing him of spying for the coalition forces.

Homs

The Syrian army, supported by the Russian air force, continued military operations in Eastern Homs and won back control of several points in the Western parts of the ancient city of Tadmur (Palmyra).

After fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists and leaving tens of dead and wounded militants, the army forces regained full control of the two regions of al-Majbal and al-Ramal on the road linking Homs and Tadmur cities.

Concurrent with the operations, the Russian fighter jets heavily bombed ISIL’s positions in the two regions and their nearby areas, inflicting casualties on the terrorists.

A military source said that the Syrian army forces are now 8km away from the Western gates of Tadmur city near al-Sawaqah school after liberating al-Ramal region and they are now able to lay siege on ISIL militants in certain districts from the three Northern, Western and Southern directions.

Earlier on Sunday, the Syrian army troops retook full control of Western Torfeh farms near al-Bayarat region West of Palmyra city.

The ISIL terrorists sustained heavy losses and casualties in tough battle with the Syrian army troops.

Meantime, a military source said that the Syrian army has fortified its military positions in the surrounding areas of al-Bayarat region and the army’s engineering units are defusing mines and bombs from the liberated areas in Eastern Homs.

Dara’a

A large number of militants stationed in Dara’a withdrew from the battlefield after sustaining heavy casualties in their offensive operations codenamed ‘Al-Mawt Va La Al-Mazela’.

News websites affiliated to the terrorist groups reported that the decision was made after 1,200 militants, including several commanders, were killed and hundreds of others were wounded in clashes with the army and its allies in Dara’a in the last few days.

They also confirmed that the militants’ advance near al-Manshiyeh district in Dara’a city has come to a halt and now the Syrian army has laid siege on the entire district and adjacent areas as the Syrian airstrikes against militants’ positions still continue.

The news websites reported that the militants are now controlling only a small part of al-Manshiyeh district.

Idlib

Media sources privy to the terrorist groups disclosed that Liwa al-Aqsa militants, a branch of Jund al-Aqsa that is an ally of Ahrar al-Sham, have executed tens of their rival Jeish al-Nasr terrorists in Idlib province, adding that 400 al-Nusra-affiliated terrorists have already been killed in the clashes.

“Liwa al-Aqsa has executed at least 70 members of the Jeish al-Nasr terrorists who had been captured in Northern Hama,” sources said.

They said that 11 commanders and 3 media people of Jeish al-Nasr terrorist group were among the 70 executed by Liwa al-Aqsa.

The sources also said that around 400 terrorists of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) – that is mainly formed of Al-Nusra terrorists – were also killed in clashes with Jund al-Aqsa.

Damascus

The Syrian army started a new round of large-scale military operations to seize back a strategic region in the Northeastern part of Damascus.

The army is preparing to take full control of al-Qaboun region and its surrounding areas in Northeastern Damascus.

“The Syrian army’s special units launched heavy missile and artillery attacks on al-Nusra Front (recently renamed as Fatah al-Sham Front) in al-Qaboun and Barzeh al-Balad regions before staging a raid on the militants in the region,” the Arabic-language media quoted a military source as saying on Sunday.

The source reiterated that the Syrian army’s military vehicles backed by the country’s air force are prepared to launch the attack on the terrorists’ military positions in al-Qaboun from two different directions and after taking control of that region to take control of its surrounding areas.