Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels ISIL Attack on Strategic Villages in Daraa

The Syrian army continued its advances in Daraa countryside, and thwarted an attempt by the terrorists to attack three strategic villages in Daraa countryside. The ISIL terrorists were pushed back from the surrounding areas of Dali, Sahilieh and Faqi villages in Daraa countryside.

The army killed tens of militants in heavy clashes in Daraa countryside. Also in the past 24 hours, the military sources announced that the army is preparing for fresh operations in the Southern parts of the country.

According to the sources, the army has prepared itself for new operations in Quneitra province. They said that the Syrian soldiers have conducted operations against the positions of Al Nusra Front and Al-Mosana Movement in Quneitra.

The Syrian army inflicted major losses on the al-Nusra Front in Quneitra province, leaving about 50 terrorists dead.

The army troops continued to make more gains in their fight against the al-Nusra terrorists in the towns of Mas’hara and al-Hamidiyeh, and managed to claim the lives of at least 47 militants.

Meantime, UN Goodwill, Peace and Human Rights Ambassador to Syria Nazmat Abbas rejected the Persian Gulf littoral Arab states’ smear campaign against Iran’s humanitarian aids to Syria as “mere lies”.

“What we actually see is that Iran doesn’t limit its aids to just a group of Syrians, for instance the Alawites, and those who say that Tehran is only helping a special tribe in Syria and not others are lying,” Abbas told FNA on Saturday.

“Such lies have been fabricated by the Persian Gulf littoral Arab states’ media,” he added.

Abbas appreciated Iran for its aids and assistance to the Syrian government and people to help them resist against the terrorist groups, and said Tehran even treats the injured Syrians at its own hospitals.

Elsewhere, foreign-backed militants sustained a heavy toll in nearby areas of Sweida and Homs provinces, killing and injuring a large number of Takfiri militants.

The army troops made major advances in the area of Tal Shuheib in the Southern province of Sweida, claiming the lives of a large number of them.

Also, the rebels suffered heavy losses in the areas of Rajm al-Qaser, al-Mushairfa and Habrat al- Sharqyia in Homs central province, as the army made gains in the province.

Also, the Syrian Kurdish fighters gained the upper-hand against the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the Southern parts of the border town of Kobani.

The People’s Protection Units (YPG) who have been fighting for over four months against ISIL are now in control of many parts of Kobani.

The YPG forces took control of Seida district, Al-Sharia school, Al-Sanaeh district, Mashte Nour hill and Tarmak village in the surrounding areas of Kobani town.

The Kurdish forces also killed 24 ISIL militants in heavy fighting.

Earlier this month, senior commanders in Syria said the Kurdish forces had gained control over 90 percent of the border town of Kobani, underlining that the town will be fully liberated from ISIL control in the coming days.

“The main parts of Kobani are under the control of our forces and we will see liberation of Kobani and restoration of full security to the town in the next few days,” the commander told FNA.

He noted that the Kurdish fighters are now controlling more than 90 percent of Kobani after three months of clashes with ISIL terrorists.

Also, according to a joint statement released on Saturday representatives of Syria’s main opposition groups have reached an agreement that the Syrian conflict can only have a political solution.

“The purpose of the negotiation process is the transition to a democratic regime and civil sovereign state. The conflict in Syria can only have a national political solution,” the statement read.

According to the agreement, the conflict resolution should be based on the Geneva peace talks.

The statement came after Syria’s largest opposition fractions, including the exiled Syrian National Coalition and the National Coordination Committee, held a two-day conference in Cairo.

Two UN-backed conferences on Syrian conflict resolution were held in Geneva in 2012 and early 2014, failing to yield significant results.

Syrian government representatives and a number of opposition groups are scheduled to meet for talks in Moscow from January 26 to 29 after Russian authorities suggested holding an informal meeting to revive Syrian peace negotiations.