Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Regains Control of Key Town in Aleppo Province

The army units drove the ISIL terrorists out of the town of Shammer and its surrounding areas.

The Syrian troops killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more in fierce clashes over controlling the Shammer town. They also destroyed several vehicles of the militants equipped with machine guns.

The Syrian army also continued its advances in other key provinces across Syria.

Aleppo

The Syrian army continued its advances in Aleppo and seized control over a strategic region in the province.

The army units won back the town of Shammer that is located on the al-Ta’anah road in the Southwestern part of Suran in Northeastern Aleppo after fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists.

Reports from the region said the terrorists sustained heavy losses and casualties in tough battle with the Syrian government troops.

In a relevant development earlier on Friday, websites affiliated to the terrorists admitted that tens of militants from Fatah al-Sham Front (previously known as the al-Nusra Front) and Nouralddeen al-Zinki have been killed in airstrikes on a key military base in the Southwestern countryside of Aleppo city.

The positions of al-Nusra Front and Nouralddeen al-Zinki in Sheikh Soleiman military base in the town of al-Ais in the Southwestern countryside of Aleppo city came under aerial bombardments, the websites close to the terrorist groups reported.

At least 50 al-Nusra and al-Zinki terrorists have been killed in the airstrikes on Sheikh Soleiman military base, they added.

Meantime, a military source said a number of ISIL terrorists were killed in the village of Khasaf in the surrounding areas of the air force academy in the Eastern countryside of Aleppo and their arms depot was also destroyed.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian fighter jets pounded and destroyed ISIL’s gathering centers in the surrounding areas and inside the cemetery region in Deir Ezzur and Sarieh Juneid area as the army continued its advances there, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists.

The ISIL terrorists sustained heavy losses in the Syrian army attacks and air force raids in areas near the cemetery.

The region is of paramount importance as the one who controls the cemetery can also control the road between the airbase and Deir Ezzur city.

In a relevant development earlier on Friday, the Syrian army entered the cemetery region in Deir Ezzur as Russia’s Iskander missiles hit the ISIL terrorist group’s military positions in different parts of the city.

The army units are now in the cemetery region in the Southwestern part of Deir Ezzur city and have seized control over a part of the strategic territory.

Meantime, the Russian army’s Iskander missiles pounded and destroyed the ISIL terrorists’ military positions in different parts of Deir Ezzur city.

Meantime, the Russian and Syrian warplanes intensified their air raids on ISIL’s supply lines in Deir Ezzur and killed tens of militants in their raids.

Also on Friday, the Syrian army backed by the country’s air force kicked off massive military operations against the ISIL terrorist group from the direction of Deir Ezzur cemetery to reopen a road located between the city and the nearby airbase.

Heavy clashes are underway between the Syrian army and the ISIL terrorist group in the surrounding areas of Deir Ezzur military airport, Panorama and around Brigade 137.

The air force has also hit the ISIL’s military positions in over 50 sorties.

Initial reports said the ISIL terrorists sustained heavy losses in the Syrian airstrikes.

Homs

Military sources said the Syrian army and allied forces have regained full control of a key crossroad near the ancient city of al-Quaryatayn.

“The army units and popular forces are now in full control of the strategic Quaryatayn crossroad that is 25 kilometers to the Northeast of the city and killed dozens of ISIL terrorists,” an informed military source said.

The source noted that several armored vehicles of the ISIL terrorists equipped with machineguns were also destroyed in the Syrian army offensive.

“Meantime, the Syrian army and its allies opened the road between Quaryatayn and T4 airbase to Homs following heavy clashes with the ISIL terrorists,” he added.

The army units also took control of Eastern and Western al-Hazm mountains as well as al-Kaziya and the triangular region located between the T4 airbase and the village of al-Baredeh as well as the village of al-Forqalas in the Eastern countryside of Homs.

In a relevant development earlier on Friday, the Syrian army continued its advances in the Southwestern part of Homs province, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists near the ancient Assyrian city of al-Quaryatayn.

The army units launched another powerful offensive near al-Quaryatayn in the Southwestern part of Homs province.

Meantime, the Syrian army backed by the Russian airstrikes stormed the Southern countryside of the T4 airbase and liberated large chunks of the territory amid their advances towards the village of Al-Baridah.

A military source in Homs reiterated that the Syrian army managed to kill as many as 25 ISIL terrorists while destroying an armored and 7 technical vehicles South of the T4 airbase.

Idlib

Clashes intensified between the terrorists of Ahrar al-Sham and al-Nusra Front (that has recently changed its name to Fatah al-Sham Front) in Idlib and claimed the lives of dozens of terrorists from both sides.

Violent infighting erupted between al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham terrorists in the towns of Iblin and Bara in Idlib countryside.

The violent clashes intensified after Fatah al-Sham terrorists killed a senior commander of the rival group, Khaled al-Adel, in the town of Kansafra in Zawiya mountain in Idlib’s Southern countryside.

Meantime, the al-Nusra militants could defeat Ahrar al-Sham in most locations and seized control of most of Ahrar al-Sham’s military positions in Zawiya mountain.

In a relevant development on Saturday, the Terrorist groups increased attacks on each other across Idlib province, while terror operations against commanders had been on the rise in recent weeks in the militant-held regions in the province.

Local sources said that senior Commander of Fatah al-Sham Front Abu Ali al-Tunisi was killed in a terrorist attack on a road to the town of Qemaynas in Southeastern Idlib.

At least 20 Turkistani terrorists were killed in an attack by rival terrorists on a building in Jabal al-Arbaeen in the town of Ariha, they added.

Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham are accusing each other of being the main cause of disunity and insecurity in Idlib and its countryside.

Ahrar al-Sham believes that Fatah al-Sham’s opposition to merging militant groups is the cause of disunity and insecurity.

Al-Omar, one of the commanders of Ahrar, said those members of ISIL that are now among Jund al-Aqsa and have made allegiance to Fatah al-Sham are in charge of insecurity and terror in Idlib.

Media sources privy to opposition groups disclosed last week that the terrorists of Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham Front engaged in rising waves of unprecedented clashes in Idlib countryside, leading to tens of casualties.

The sources said that the most bloody clashes were between Fatah al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham, adding that Ahrar members accused Fatah al-Sham of assassinating their three commanders in the town of Talmans.

The sources added that widening gaps and harsh disputes between the commanders of Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham in Idlib ushered in armed clashes between the two fronts.

“Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham assassinate members and commanders of each other in covert operations and without accepting the responsibility, and in a number of more cases they open fire at each other in the public and without any excuse,” they continued.

The clashes inflicted tens of casualties on both Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham.

Hama

The Syrian army warded off an attack by a group of ISIL terrorists near Ithrya station East of Hama province, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

A large number of ISIL terrorists were killed while they were pushed back by the Syrian army in Eastern Hama.

The terrorists’ military hardware and equipment were also destroyed in the clashes.