Syrian Arab Army Cordons Off Al-Mliha Town in Eastern Ghouta—Hundreds of Gunmen Surrender

PROVINCES,(ST)_The army units have made a remarkable progress in the ongoing battle in Eastern Ghouta in Damascus countryside and eliminated over 39 terrorists in Lattakia countryside, the official news agency (SANA) reports.

The army advance in Eastern Ghouta battle coincided with inflicting heavy losses upon terrorist groups in Der Ezzour province, foiling infiltration bid into Beit al-Nabhan in Homs province and regularizing situations of 285 gunmen from Homs, Hassaka and Quneitra provinces.

The advance was manifested by cordoning off Aal-Mliha town through which supply routes for terrorists groups inside the town and in the nearby towns were cut off.

The encirclement was created after the army units  made a progress on several axes in the ongoing battle, according to the agency which added that the army units destroyed a factory and workshop for making bombs and rockets in Al-Erbin quarter and al-Emadeyeh farms near Al-Mliha town.

Many terrorists, some belonging to the so-called ‘al-Rahman brigade` and the ‘Islam army’ were killed in al-Mliha town, Jobar quarter, Adra al-Balad area and Wadi Ein Tarma. 

Other 30 terrorists from the ‘Ansar al-Mustafa’ battalion were killed and injured in Alya farms in Duma area outside Damascus.

Operation in northern countryside of Damascus

Meanwhile, the army units conducted an operation in the farms of al-Sarkha town, to the south-west of Yabroud city in Al-Qalamon area and pounded a hideout containing weapons for terrorists in Sahl al-Zabadani area.

Several terrorists, mostly of non-Syrian nationality, died in the said areas and in the clashes that raged between the army units and armed terrorist groups in Darayya area.

As for developments in the northern countryside of Lattakia, a military source declared that the army units targeted terrorist groupings in al-Kabir town and al-Forolloq forests where 39 terrorists were killed and five cars equipped with heavy machine guns were destroyed.

‘A large number of terrorists was also hit in the said areas,” the source said, adding that other terrorists were mowed down and injured in Jabal al-Nisr.

Cars carrying stolen oil destroyed

Elsewhere, the army units foiled terrorists’ infiltration bid from al-Ghanto town into Beit al-Nabhan in Homs province, clashed with terrorists from ‘al-Abbas’ brigade and annihilated several cars carrying stolen oil in Der Ezzour province.

The terrorist groups sustained heavy losses not only in the said areas but also in several areas outside Daraa and Homs provinces as the army units shelled terrorist groupings there.

In Homs city, many terrorists were crushed by a car explosion while they were booby trapping it in the chicken market.

Situations of 285 gunmen regularized  

In a separate development, the competent authorities regularized situations of 285 gunmen from Homs, Hassaka and Quneitra province.

Almost 233 gunmen from Homs and 15 others from Hassaka plus 37  from Quneitra turned themselves in to the competent authorities under the national reconciliation process and the Baath Arab Socialist Party’s efforts.

The misled gunmen handed in their guns too and vowed not to carry out any act that jeopardizes the homeland security.

Basma Qaddour