Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Regains Control of More Key Heights in Homs

The army units drove the ISIL terrorists out of key heights and their surrounding areas near a strategic energy field in Homs province.

The Syrian troops inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists in fierce clashes over controlling of strategic mountains and hilltops. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.

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

Homs

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by Syrian and Russian Air Force, resumed a fresh round of anti-ISIL operations near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), taking back two key heights near the strategic al-Sha’er Energy Fields, well-informed sources said Monday.

The sources reported that after hours of bloody battle, the Syrian pro-government forces recaptured several positions near the al-Sha’er Energy Fields, including Heights 1,005 and 943 in the al-Sha’er mountain.

According to reports, the army soldiers will probably start a fresh phase of anti-ISIL operation to capture the al-Sha’er oil and gas fields and their nearby areas and hills in the coming days.

Damascus

The Syrian Army forces thwarted the plan of the terrorists loyal to Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) for transferring a large arms cargo from Southern to Eastern Damascus province, the military’s high command reported.

AMN quoted a military communiqué as saying that the army soldiers busted members of Tahrir Al-Sham that were attempting to smuggle weapons from Southern Damascus to the East Ghouta region.

The source added that several cases of ammunition, tank shells, mortar launchers, and heavy machine guns were among the seized consignment.

Due to their recent shortage of weapons in Eastern Ghouta, terrorists of Tahrir Al-Sham have attempted to move their munitions from Southern Damascus in order to help their comrades fighting the Syrian government forces.

Idlib

Local sources reported that 10 terrorists have been killed and wounded in a roadside bomb blast near the town of Khan al-Sabal after an intensified round of tensions and infighting rival militant groups in Northwestern Syria.

Local media activists said that a roadside bomb hit one of the vehicles of Faylaq al-Sham near the town of Khan al-Sabal, killing six terrorists and injuring four more.

The sources said that the attacks of this kind have been recently increasing in Idlib, but this is the first time that Faylaq al-Sham has been targeted.

In the meantime, one of the commanders of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at nom de guerre Abu Torab Muhassan was shot down by unknown assailants in the town of Salqin in Northwestern Idlib.

Local sources said last week that several members of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at killed and several more have been wounded in a fresh round of clashes with the Ahrar al-Sham rival terrorist group in Southern Idlib.

The sources reported that six militants of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at were killed after the rival terrorists from Ahrar al-Sham raided their positions in the village of Filoun.

A number of terrorists were also injured in the infighting.

Hama

The Syrian Army forces, supported by the country’s Air Force, stormed ISIL’s defense lines and managed to take back control over more territories, inflicting major losses on terrorists in Eastern Hama.

The army units engaged in heavy fighting with ISIL Southeast of Aqarib and drove terrorists out of Areas 3 and 45 along the oil pipeline.

In the meantime, the Syrian fighter jets pounded ISIL’s movements and defense lines in the village of Qalib al-Thowar and along the oil pipeline.

The army’s artillery units and aircraft targeted ISIL’s positions in the villages of Akash, Um Meel, al-Hardaneh, Abu Habilat, al-Arsouneh and Aqayrabat in al-Salamiyah region, destroying several positions of the terrorists.

Local sources said that the army units, supported by air force, clashed with ISIL East of the village of Bari al-Sharqi in al-Salamiyah region.

Dara’a

Local sources said that the terrorist groups in the Southern city of Dara’a are accusing each other for frequent defeats in their attacks on the Syrian Army troops’ positions.

The sources said that the army soldiers have repelled the entire attacks of Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board), the Free Syrian Army and Ahrar al-Sham on the pro-government forces’ strongholds, killing a large number of them, including several field commanders and destroying their military hardware in large scale.

The sources went on to say that the terrorist groups are disunited and on the verge of collapse after their failed attacks on the army in Dara’a.

In the meantime, several terrorist groups in Northern Dara’a have set up an operation room to face possible operation of the army in the region.

The Syrian army continued it military operations against Al-Nusra Front in Dara’a province, killing tens of terrorists, including several senior commanders.

The social media affiliated to the terrorist groups reported on Sunday that at least 26 Al-Nusra Front militants were killed in an unsuccessful attack on government forces’ positions in al-Manshiyeh region in Dara’a province over the past 24 hours.

Three senior Al-Nusra Front commanders, Wassim Youness Salaj al-Moslemeh, Hassan Sabahi nom de guerre Aba Zayd and Mahmoud Hamed al-Za’abi were among the Al-Nusra casualties.

Meantime, another convoy of the Syrian army forces arrived in Dara’a province along with a large cargo of weapons and military equipment.

The fresh forces joined their comrades on Wednesday as the Syrian army had earlier dispatched two other convoys of soldiers to Dara’a.

Hundreds of Syrian forces and a large batch of military supplies were sent to Dara’a province as it seems that pro-government forces were preparing to start a new anti-terrorism operation in the region.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army troops and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters continued their joint anti-ISIL operation in Eastern Homs and managed to advance significantly towards Deir Ezzur, taking back control over several key positions.

The army forces and Hezbollah fighters advanced along the Palmyra-Deir Ezzur Highway, recapturing several points along the strategic road, deploying troops less than 6km away from the key town of Arak in Eastern Homs province.

A military source said given the geographical position of Arak, recapturing the town that is located between Palmyra city and the town of al-Sukhnah is of significant importance for the army, adding that taking control over Arak will expand the buffer zone around Palmyra and will ease driving ISIL out of al-Sukhnah as a gate towards Deir Ezzur.

The sources also underscored economic importance of Arak’s energy fields, adding that capturing Arak will put ISIL’s positions in al-Sukhnah in danger and will be an operation center for anti-ISIL offensives.