Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army, Popular Forces Manage to Liberate Key Areas in Aleppo City

The army units and popular forces recaptured Sheikh Saeed as they continued their military operations to recapture the remaining terrorist-controlled districts in the Southeastern part of Aleppo city.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Homs and Damascus, over the past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army’s operations in Syria’s key provinces.

Aleppo

Al-Qaeda’s final days in Aleppo are now numbered as Syrian Army forces and popular forces managed to fully liberate the strategic district of Sheikh Saeed as they continue the operation to recapture the last remaining neighborhoods still controlled by the terrorists in Southeastern Aleppo.

A major part of Sheikh Saeed was captured last month, but a small part, including its Northern rims, was still under the control of the terrorists till this afternoon.

Syrian Army forces, backed by Iraq’s al-Nujaba and Palestinian Liwa al-Quds forces, began the operation to liberate Aleppo’s Sheikh Saeed from neighboring al-Salehin district and managed to recapture it after they drove out the militants from this part of the war-ravaged Aleppo city.

In the course of the operation to liberate Sheikh Saeed, the pro-government forces killed a number of militants, and nearly a dozen militants were captured by the Syrian Army.

Some reports said sporadic clashes are still underway between the Syrian Army forces and the militants in areas flanked Northward by neighboring Karam al-Da’da’ and Southward by Sheikh Saeed, as well as the Western part of the Sheikh Saeed neighborhood adjacent to the al-Sukri district.

Meantime, the Syrian Army and popular forces have also embarked on a new phase of their operation to recapture the key district of Bustan al-Qasr (Bustan al-Kaser) and fierce clashes are underway in the area.

A battlefield source had earlier said that al-Sheikh Saeed “is the Southern gate to the Aleppo city’s Eastern districts”, adding that recapturing al-Sheikh Saeed will result in new military developments in the Eastern part of the city”.

The Syrian army is also preparing to start a new round of military operations to seize back a strategic bastion of the terrorists Southwest of Aleppo province, while the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi al-Nujaba have dispatched many more of their fighters to Aleppo province to take part in the upcoming Khan Touman liberation operation.

Field sources said the Syrian army and its allies have captured 12sq/km more in Eastern Aleppo in the past 24 hours, cornering the terrorists in a very restricted area.

According to the sources, at present, the militants are squeezed in an area 6sq/km in size in Eastern Aleppo that covers al-Asila, Bustan al-Qasr, al-Kalasa, al-Zabdya, Bab al-Qam, al-Ferdous, Maqale’, Karam al-Da’da, Eastern al-Ansari, Western al-Ansari, al-Mashhad, and al-Sukri districts.

Since the start of the massive operations in Eastern Aleppo, the Syrian forces have won control over 56 districts, while they are still advancing in regions still under militants’ control.

As earlier report said, tens of more militants have also surrendered to the governmental forces in Eastern Aleppo, adding that hundreds of civilians from regions controlled by the terrorists have also been transferred to the army-controlled areas.

Rifts are also widening among Syrian and non-Syrian militants as Damascus has vowed to grant amnesty to Syrian fighters.

Non-Syrian terrorists want to continue battle against government forces, while others want to negotiate with the army for their final evacuation from the city.

Homs

The Syrian army forces repelled the ISIL terrorists’ massive attacks against their positions in the Eastern parts of Tadmur (Palmyra) in Homs province, military sources said, adding that clashes have resumed near the two oil-rich regions of al-Mahr and al-Sha’er.

According to the sources, heavy clashes erupted between the Syrian army units and the ISIL terrorists in al-Sawame and the Northern parts of Palmyra in Jabal Antar district with the army inflicting casualties and damage on the militants.

Meantime, the Syrian troops launched fierce artillery attacks against the ISIL gathering centers in the region.

Also, the Syrian army’s clashes with the ISIL militants near Huwaisis region and the two al-Sha’er and al-Mahr oil fields in Eastern Homs were resumed.

Meantime, the Syrian fighter jets pounded the ISIL’s strongholds in al-Sukhnah and the nearby areas.

Also in the Northern parts of Homs, the Syrian troops targeted the terrorists’ centers in al-Rastan city and the Syrian warplanes heavily bombed their positions in al-Qantou and al-Houla towns.

Earlier on Thursday, the Syrian army forces, supported by the Russian helicopters, started special operations to retake control of al-Sukri district Southeast of Tadmur in Central Syria and continued advance to reach Khanifis region.

A field source said that the Syrian army has seized back control of Sawame al-Haboub region East of Tadmur and Arak gas field and is now only a few hundred meters away from Khanifis power plant.

The source added that the Syrian army continues operations towards Toynan company in Eastern Tadmur to establish the biggest security ring around the city.

According to the reports, the Syrian army units’ operations near Tadmur have started and they will cover two pivots; first from al-Sukri district towards Khanifis; and then towards al-Sukhnah city in the Eastern parts of Homs which hosts one of the most important ISIL training centers in the region.

A military source said that operations towards al-Sukhnah are carried out to cut the important supply routes, adding that by retaking control over al-Sukhnah, the ISIL terrorists’ move through the old roads between Raqqa and Jordan and Iraq will be impossible.

He said that liberation of al-Sukhnah would pave the ground for the army and its allies’ advance towards Deir Ezzur city from the Western side and meantime, the Syrian forces can reach al-Tabaqa region in Southern Raqqa through al-Sukhnah road.

Damascus

The Syrian army continued operations against the terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus and advanced in new areas.

The Syrian military forces and their allies advanced near Meida’ani town after its liberation and could win control over a vast part of Hawsh al-Shalaq town.

Also, the Syrian army troops targeted the terrorists’ gathering centers and strongholds with artillery fire in Jobar district, Eastern Damascus, and inflicted heavy damage on the militants.

The Syrian fighter jets also pounded the terrorists’ positions in al-Marj, Harasta and Douma regions as well as al-Shifouniyeh town.

Sweida

Syrian Army forces thwarted attacks by terrorists on two major airfields in Deir Ezzur and Sweida and imposed heavy losses on them.

The Syrian Air force targeted the ISIL terrorists near the Deir Ezzur Airport while they were preparing for an offensive on the Syrian Army in the premises of the airport.

Syrian warplanes also bombed the ISIL terrorists in Deir Ezzur districts of al-Hwaiqa, al-Hamidiyeh and al-Rashidiya as well as their positions in Panorama, West of Deir Ezzur, inflicting heavy losses and damage on the terrorists.

The Syrian Air Force also carried out several aerial attacks on ISIL positions in Hatla and al-Hosseiniyeh in Eastern Deir Ezzur as well as al-Jafreh and Jabal al-Tharda, South of Eastern Deir Ezzur Province, killing a number of militants and leaving their equipment destroyed.

Meanwhile in Southern Sweida Province, Syrian Army forces fended off terrorists’ offensive in the vicinity of al-Tha’ala Airbase and Tal al-Sheikh Hassan in Western Sweida, killing around two dozen militants in fierce battles with them.

Syrian Army forces also shelled militant positions in Tal al-Ashayhib, killing scores of them while several more were injured in the attack.

Hama

The Syrian Army, alongside the National Defense Forces (NDF), carried out a surprise attack against the ISIL terror group to liberate Kherba Al-Janinah village in Eastern Hama.

The assault began when an NDF unit stormed the ISIL’s positions along the Sa’an-Ithriyah Road, and while they were engaged in a fierce battle with ISIL, the NDF received a big boost as Syrian Army forces arrived to help drive back the terrorists and managed to liberate the small village of Kherba Al-Janinah.

Scores of ISIL terrorists were killed in the clashes.

The purpose of last night’s attack by the NDF and army was to clear up the Sa’an-Ithriyah Road, which was constantly under threat by the ISIL terrorists from the South.

Lattakia-Quneitra

The Syrian army forces launched massive military operations in the two provinces of Quneitra and Lattakia, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists.

The Syrian army targeted the terrorist groups which were transferring their military vehicles towards the Northern parts of Quneitra and killed tens of militants.

They also attacked the terrorist groups’ moves and supply routes in Tal al-Alaqiya, Tal al-Sha’ar, Mashara and al-Madajen in the triangle among Damascus, Quneitra and Dara’a and inflicted heavy casualties and damage on them.

The army troops and their allies also clashed with the militants who sought to enter the army’s positions in Ain Issa near Jabal Turkmen region in Lattakia and killed a large number of terrorists and forced others to flee the battleground.

The Syrian air and ground forces, meantime, targeted the terrorists’ gathering centers in Kabani district in Jabal al-Akrad region.

Dara’a

The Syrian air and ground forces launched massive attacks on the terrorists in Dara’a province and targeted their positions and gathering centers heavily, inflicting heavy casualties and damages on them.

The Syrian army forces attacked the terrorist groups in the Northwestern and Northern parts of the refugees’ camp and in al-Bajabjah district in Dara’a, killing most of militants in the region.

A command center of terrorists in the Southern parts of Qazan al-Kark in Dara’a al-Balad was also targeted and smashed. All the militants inside the base were killed in the attack.

Meantime, the Syrian fighter jets pounded the terrorists’ positions in Harat al-Badou district in the Southern parts of the Technical Institution in Dara’a city and the two towns of Abta and Da’el in the Northern parts of the city.

Also, the Syrian fighter jets and the army’s artillery units launched strikes on the terrorists’ gathering centers in Dara’a camp and al-Araba’een district in Dara’a al-Balad as well as Qaraz, Tafs and al-Ya’douda roads in the Northern parts of Dara’a and killed tens of terrorists.