Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Makes New Gains in Aleppo Countryside

The army units also took back the town of al-Hadoum and paved its way towards Deir Hafer region in the Eastern part of Aleppo.

The army then focused on advancing towards Southwestern parts of al-Jarah airport.

The Syrian troops killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more in fierce clashes over controlling of strategic regions. They also destroyed military equipment of the terrorists.

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

Aleppo

The Syrian army continued military operations in Eastern Aleppo after capturing the town of al-Hadoum, and is now expanding control in Deir Hafer region.

The army forces have now focused their military operations on advancing towards villages in the Southwestern parts of al-Jarah airport, fiercely targeting the ISIL positions in the region.

A military source said that the Syrian army forces have heavily pounded the ISIL bases in the two villages of Atira and Jaraj al-Kabirah with missile and artillery fire, adding that the battle is raging near the two strategic regions.

The source added that if the army units capture the two regions, they will gain fire control over al-Jarah airbase and will surround it from three directions.

Another military source also said that the army forces have inflicted tens of casualties on ISIL militants in Aleppo, as the terrorists had been ordered to hold their ground and avoid retreating from al-Mahdoum as it was considered as one of the most important ISIL defense lines for Maskana town.

He added that after the Syrian army seizes control over al-Mahdoum, a major chunk of the Aleppo-Raqqa international highway will open to the Syrian army towards Maskana which is the last ISIL stronghold in Northeastern Aleppo and near the Western parts of Raqqa.

Homs

Local officials in Homs confirmed on Thursday that the 9th phase of the evacuation deal came to an end after over 1,350 gunmen and their family members were relocated from al-Wa’er district.

The sources said that a sum of 260 gunmen and their family members, with a total number of 1,372, left al-Wa’er district for the border town of Jarabulus in Northeastern Aleppo on 41 buses within the framework of the 9th phase of the evacuation deal in the district under the supervision of Syria’s Red Crescent Society, the country’s security forces and the Russian military police.

According to Homs Governor General Talal al-Barazi, the last phase of the evacuation plan in al-Wa’er district will be implemented mid May, adding that all government departments will return to the region and the reconstruction work will start soon.

Earlier on Thursday, over 900 gunmen and their family members left al-Wa’er district for the militant-held regions in the Northwestern province of Idlib.

In the new phase of the evacuation deal in al-Wa’er which is supervised by the Syrian Red Crescent and the Russian security and police authorities, a sum of 917 people, including 121 militants who had not accepted the peace plan, left the district for Idlib on 23 buses.

The reconciliation agreement of al-Wa’er neighborhood aims at clearing the neighborhood from arms and gunmen and paving the way for the return of governmental institutions to it.

According to a report, as part of the of the reconciliation agreement reached last March in al-Wa’er neighborhood, the eighth batch of gunmen and some of their family members started leaving the neighborhood under the supervision of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the Internal Security Forces and the Russian Military Police.

Damascus

The Syrian army is using amazing military vehicles against the terrorists in al-Qaboun region of Eastern Damascus which enjoy a high power.

According to the Russian-language Vestnik Mordovia newspaper, the army is in possession of bulldozers and military AMR-2 vehicles to remove barriers created by the terrorists in al-Qaboun region. The vehicles have been equipped for battle and combat.

Based on the report, the terrorists have failed to damage the military vehicles while the armored bulldozers and the military vehicles can destroy the militants’ positions and strongholds, “and this has lowered the terrorists’ morale”.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian army continued anti-ISIL military operations to break the siege of Deir Ezzur airbase, advancing in strategic areas and killing a Belgian terrorist commander and several other foreign militants.

A field source said that the army units inched closer to Be’r Abu Hassan region adjacent to al-Ta’min brigade.

The source stated that during the army operations aimed at opening roads linking Deir Ezzur’s Western regions to the airbase, the Syrian soldiers could advance in important areas in the Southwestern parts of the airbase, killing a Belgian commander and several other foreign members of the ISIL terrorist group.

They also could seized different types of weapons and ammunition from the ISIL.

The source added that the Syrian and Russian fighter jets are repeatedly targeting ISIL’s positions in Deir Ezzur and have shattered all bases and roads used by the terrorist group, specially in the Cemetery region, brick factories and al-Mojbal, al-Tharda, Wadi al-Tharda and al-Ammal regions.

The Syrian forces seek to extend the range of their military operations near Deir Ezzur airbase and all roads linking the airbase to the Western districts – recently closed after ISIL’s suicide attacks.

Reports said earlier on Thursday that the Syrian army forces continued military operations against ISIL in Deir Ezzur, destroying an important tunnel used by the terrorists in the city and killing a group of militants.

The Syrian soldiers blew up a 23-meter-long tunnel belonging to the ISIL in front of al-Makateb region of al-Sana’a district which was used for attacking the army positions by bomb-laden vehicles.

Also, other units of the army launched massive military operations in al-Maleha region near the areas adjacent to Regiment 137 Base in Southwestern Deir Ezzur, and killed all members of an ISIL grouplet.