Syrian Arab army paves way for ‘Qalamoun’ battle, launches air strikes against terrorists

PROVINCES,(ST)_ Preparations for the forthcoming battle in al-Qalamoun area, to the north-west of Damascus, have started, as fighting has remained unrelenting on other axes across the country.

Media reports confirmed on Monday that the Syrian army made a notable advance in al-Qalamoun mountain in the wake of eliminating many terrorists in areas of Rankos and Asal al-Ward mountain and launching air strikes against terrorists’ hideouts in towns of Yabroud and Der Ateyeh as well as in the northeastern side of Hosh Arab and the eastern side of Ma’aloula town.

Dozens of terrorists were killed in Yabroud and wide-scale clashes were raged in al-Nabk area, which is the main stronghold of terrorists in al-Qalamoun mountain.

Sednaya, Ein Mnin, Ma’aloula, Rankos, Talfita, Bakh’a, Jab’adin, Halbon, al-Nabk, al-Qtayfeh, al-Rhaybeh, Yabroud, Qarra, Der Ateyeh, Ras al-Ma’arrah, al-Sahl, Esal al-Ward, are the most important areas in al-Qalamoun.

The advance in al-Qalamoun area coincided with continuity of military operations in the eastern and western Ghouta of Damascus and in suburbs of Jobar, al-Qabon, Zamalka, just few kilometers to the north-east of Damascus.

The operations have continued not only in Damascus countryside but also in Daraa, Aleppo,  Idlib, Homs, Hama, Lattakia provinces.

Israeli-made rockets and Motorola

In southern Daraa province, the operations ended in eliminating ringleaders of the so-called ‘Fallojet Horan’ brigade and al-Nusra Front in Ebta’a town and confiscating Israeli-made weapons and telecommunication devices in the countryside.

The official news agency quoted a military source as saying: “Units of the armed forces, in cooperation with locals, seized 6 Lau-rockets, 7 Israeli-made Motorola communication devices, 12 munitions boxes and a rifle in al-Tebeh town.”

Attacks on checkpoints

The same province witnessed clashes between the armed forces and armed terrorist groups trying to attack checkpoints in towns of al-Sheikh Meskin, al-Za’arazarah, al-Hairan, al-Qetar, Ein Friha and Zahret al-Hafayer, according to the source.

Other clashes were flared up when armed terrorist groups tried to infiltrate into safe areas in northern Aleppo province and to attack checkpoints outside Tal Kalkh area in Homs province..

An unknown number of terrorists were killed in the said clashes and in what has been described by a military source as ‘tailored and accurate’ operations carried out in towns of Ma’arret Mesrin, taftinaz, and Nahlaya outside Idlib province.

Homs’ al-Hadath town ‘safe’

However, in central Homs province, the armed forces imposed control over al-Hadath town after vanquishing terrorists from it.

Rocket attacks

Terrorist groups perpetrate daily savage acts against citizens nationwide. They fired today rockets on al-Mzayneh town in Homs province and on al-Sqelbeyeh town in Hama province.

The rocket attacks left two citizens (a woman and her daughter) seriously wounded plus damages at the scenes.

Syria is in a state of war and its national army fights terrorists, who are supported by the US, Britain, France, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Basma Qaddour