Syrian Army Cuts ISIL’s Supply Routes from Iraqi Borders to Syria
The army troops managed to advance deep into an area that covers 25,000 square kilometers of Badiyeh region in Eastern Syria and arrived at the borders with Iraq.
The army units’ advances helped them cut ISIL’s supply lines from the city of al-Qaem in Iraq towards the strategic city of al-Sukhnah in the Eastern countryside of Homs.
This is while the Syrian army has also cut the supply routes of the Takfiri terrorists from Jordan’s borders towards al-Lajah plain in Dara’a province.
Syrian soldiers and the Lebanese Hezbollah forces have established several fortified positions along the Syrian-Iraqi border in spite of the US-led coalition’s warning and its air raids on army positions in al-Tanf region in Southeastern Homs in May and early June.
The Syrian pro-government forces fortified their positions along the Syrian-Iraqi border near Al-Boudah village South-East of Homs a few kilometers from the al-Tanf border crossing, where the Washington forces are training anti-Syrian government Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters.
A military source pointed to the presence of the Syrian and Iraqi forces at the joint border, and said Damascus and Baghdad are to kick off an imminent operation against ISIL at the border.
Another military source said that a US plan to move its affiliated militants towards Deir Ezzur city was thwarted after the Syrian Army troops advanced against militants and arrived at the border with Iraq and meantime by-passed US-backed militants in the town of Hamimeh.
The source added that the US bases in al-Tanf border-crossing, al-Zaviriyeh and al-Zakaf were no more useful for the launch of military operations after the Syrian Army troops arrived at the country’s border with Iraq.
Also, the Syrian Army troops had taken control over a 105-km-long chunk of the borderline with Jordan regardless of the US-led coalition fighter jets’ presence over the region.
The army soldiers faced the coalition warplanes’ continued flights that mean to deter them as a show of warning while advancing against militant groups at the border with Jordan, the sources said, adding that the US army further called on the Syrian troops not to approach the defense lines of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The US army had announced that the Syrian forces are considered as a threat to the American bases and training camps of the US-backed militants in Southern Syria.
The Iraqi army forces have also managed to take control of al-Waleed crossing and a strip along Iraq’s borders with Syria and Jordan.
The Iraqi forces under the joint command headquarters started a massive military operation dubbed as ‘al-Fajr’ to take control of the border strip.
The military operation took place with the participation of border guards, tribal forces and backup of the Iraqi fighter jets and international coalition.
Al-Waleed is close to the al-Tanf border crossing on the common border, which is the key to the Baghdad-Damascus Highway and also links up to the main Baghdad-Amman route.
On May 18, the US-led coalition struck pro-Bashar Assad forces near al-Tanf in the area of an established de-confliction zone. The coalition air raids occurred near al-Tanf, where US’ and British special operations forces have been training militants near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
On June 6, the Pentagon announced the coalition conducted a new strike on pro-Syrian government forces as they entered the de-confliction zone with Russia and posed threat to its personnel. The force comprised of a tank, artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, armed technical vehicles and more than 60 soldiers. At least two Syrian servicemen were killed and more than 15 injured as a result of the coalition attack.
On June 8, the US-led coalition bombed pro-Damascus forces near al-Tanf in the area of a de-confliction zone following an alleged attack by a combat drone resulting in no coalition forces’ casualties. This was the third attack by the coalition on Damascus’ allies in the area. The coalition targeted a drone and trucks with weapons.
