Syrian Arab army frees 48 kidnapped civilians and military men in Raqaa, wards off attack on central prison in Daraa
PROVINCES,(ST)_About 48 civilians and military men kidnapped by terrorist groups have been released by an army unit in Raqqa province amid reports of continuation of qualitative operations against foreign-backed terrorist groups nationwide.
The 48 civilians and military men were freed today in a qualitative operation that carried out by an army unit in al-Tabaqa area in northern Raqqa province, the official news agency said.
The agency confirmed that officers were among those freed today, noting that the army units released on March 12th two abductees held by armed terrorist groups in al-Qarabis quarter in central Homs province.
Two car bombs kill 8 civilians
In another development, it was said that two car bomb blasts in al-Bardeh town outside Damascus and in al-Zahra’a quarter in Homs province killed at least 8 civilians and wounded 34 others.
The state-run Syrian TV channel clarified that terrorists exploded the first car bomb after parking it near ‘Omar ben al-Khattab’ mosque at the entry of al-Bardeh town, around 15km to the south-west of Damascus.
At least 2 civilians were martyred and 14 other wounded in the car bomb attack which caused damages to the wall of the mosque and to 15 cars at the scene, a police command source declared.
The second car bomb attack took place at the square of al-Zahra’a quarter in Homs city where 6 civilians were martyred and 20 others wounded.
Shells hit Damascus
Other 13 citizens were wounded when three shells-fired by terrorists- hit Umayyad square and al-Qassa’a quarter in the capital [Damascus].
Last night, terrorists fired shells on several urban areas in Damascus- al-Abbaseyen, Mazzeh and Abo Remmaneh quarters- where many civilians were wounded.
The foreign-backed terrorist groups escalated their attacks against civilians after the capture of the strategic Yabroud city by the army units that go ahead with fighting terrorism, which was exported to the country from around 83 countries.
Three ringleaders eliminated
Many terrorists were killed today when the army units targeted terrorist groupings in Daraa al-Balad, Ethman town, Bosra al-Sham and Inkhel town in southern Daraa province, according to Alikhbaria Syria TV channel.
In addition, three ringleaders plus many terrorists were shot dead when an army unit warded off an attack by armed terrorist groups on Gharz central prison in the province of Daraa.
A source at Daraa province confirmed that ringleaders of the so- called ‘Sheikh al-Islam’, al-Mojahedin’ and ‘Shohada’a Sida’ battalions were shot dead when the army units foiled the attack on the prison.
There were also clashes between army units and armed terrorist groups on al-Sad road in the same province [Daraa] and in quarters of al-Hweqa, al-Reshdeyeh and al-Jbeleh in Der Ezzour province.
Several terrorists were mowed down and hit in the clashes.
Qualitative operations
Elsewhere, the official agency said that the army units inflicted heavy losses upon terrorists during qualitative operations carried out in several contested areas in provinces of Homs, Aleppo and Idleb.
Several cars for terrorists were destroyed in the operations which also resulted in killing and injuring an unknown number of terrorists.
The operations were conducted against terrorist groups in towns of al-Dar al-Kabera and al-Khaledeyeh and in areas of Abo Qator, Abo Traha and near al-Shandaqeyeh town in Homs countryside and in areas of Hayyan, Hritan, al-Jebleyeh, Free Zone, al-Meselmeyeh, al-Sakhor, al-Helwaneyeh, Jabal Bdor, Tal Sh’er, al-Sekkari, al-Ewejeh, Handarat, Bani Zeid, al-Saleheyeh, al-Sherfeh al-Safra and in the surrounding of Aleppo central prison, Kweris, Rasm al-Abbod, al-Jadedeh and Erbid in northern Aleppo province.
Further operations were conducted in the surrounding of Abo al-Dhohor, Tal al-Fakhar, Em al-Karamel and Slejeneh outside Idleb province.
Field hospital
Meanwhile, it was reported that the army units discovered a field hospital, containing operating room and a big quantity of medicines stolen from health centers in the Yabroud city outside Damascus.
The field hospital was found inside a building in the heart of the city.
The US, France, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are the core countries that sponsor the terrorist groups operating in Syria, world media reports say.
Basma Qaddour