Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Surrounds Manbij to Block Way on Turkish Forces’ Advance

The Syrian Arab Army has deployed their Republican Guard, 1st Armored Division, and 4th Armored Division at the Western, Southern and Eastern flanks of the town of Manbij, a military source near Manbij said.

Meantime, the Syrian army continued its military advances in other parts of Syria over the past 24 hours.

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

Aleppo

The Syrian Army surrounded Manbij from three different flanks after the Turkish-backed rebels began mass mobilizing their gunmen North of the town.

According to a military source near Manbij, the Syrian Arab Army has deployed their Republican Guard, 1st Armored Division, and 4th Armored Division at the Western, Southern and Eastern flanks of the town of Manbij, the AMN reported.

The Syrian army was able to reach the Eastern axis of Manbij after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reportedly transferred control of the Tishrin Dam to the government troops.

Meantime, some 20 Ankara-backed militants were killed or wounded in different cases of attacks over the past 24 hours in occupied Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo.

The Arabic-language website of Hawar news reported that the Kurdish militia attacked the Ankara-backed Faylaq al-Sham’s positions in the village of Mohammadiyah in Afrin, killing or wounding 5 militants.

It further said that a group of armed men attacked a position of the Turkey-baked National Liberation Front in the small town of Souran in Azaz region in Northern Aleppo, killing 5 militants and wounding 7 more seriously.

The militant groups put their militants on alert, claiming that the Kurdish militia were behind the attacks.

Idlib

Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) and other terrorist groups continue preventing people from leaving militant-held regions in Idlib province for regions under the Syrian Army control.

Tahrir al-Sham arrested a sum of 20 people at Tal al-Tukan passageway in Eastern Idlib after they tried to move towards army positions.

The arrested people intended to apply for government amnesty, but, Tahrir al-Sham sent them to a jail in Idlib.

In the meantime, tensions were reported between terrorists of Tahrir al-Sham and Nouralddeen al-Zinki in Western Aleppo that caused Tahrir al-Sham to dispatch a convoy of gunmen to Dar al-Izzah, closing all roads to the region.

Tahrir al-Sham, meanwhile, reinvigorated its positions in the small towns of Tarmanin and Tal Adah in Northern Idlib.

Local sources reported that a wave of general strikes has covered Jarabulus in Aleppo province and Idlib following insecurity and continued robberies in the terrorist-held regions in Northern Syria.

The terrorists’ refusal to implement the Sochi Agreement to establish a demilitarized zone is pushing the army to initiate its long-waited assault on militants in Idlib that had been put on hold due to the Sochi Agreement.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian Army dispatched more troops and equipment to the strategic Albu Kamal region in Southeastern Deir Ezzur on Monday, preparing for a major battle against the remaining pockets of ISIL terrorists near the border with Iraq.

The army forwarded a large number of troops, including the 5th Division, more tanks and armored vehicles to the small towns of al-Sukariyah and Huweija al-Moshahedah near the town of Albu Kamal near the border with Syria.

In the meantime, tens of army men, a number of Russian forces, several cannons and heavy weapons arrived at Deir Ezzur military airport and were further sent to regions near the small town of al-Dowayer.

The army’s military buildup in Eastern Deir Ezzur near the border with Iraq signifies Damascus’ plan to kick off a major operation to hunt down the remaining pockets of the ISIL still operating in the desert-like region.