Syrian army kills over 218 terrorists in Aleppo, Lattakia, Damascus countryside
PROVINCES,(ST)_Syrian army has killed over 218 terrorists in Aleppo, Lattakia countryside and the eastern Ghouta of Damascus and has destroyed 3 ISIS vehicles in Der Ezzour.
According to a military source, Syrian warplanes bombed today at noon ISIS sites in al-Rashedin quarter, Qabtan town, Daret Ezzeh city and Bashkawi and Hritan towns in the northern and western countryside of Aleppo, killing more than 180 terrorists and destroying several hideouts plus training camp and vehicles belonging to them.
26 more terrorists were eliminated when army units targeted terrorists affiliated to the so-called the ‘Jaish al-Islam’, the ‘Rahman Legion ‘, the ‘Ajnad al-Sham’ and the ‘Fajer al-Omm’ brigade at the western entrance to Saqba town and in Erbin town in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus as well as in the western edge of Duma city in Damascus countryside, according to the official news agency (SANA)
The agency added that Syrian warplanes hit today morning terrorist organizations in towns of al-Farez, Salma, Akko and Droshan in the northern countryside of Lattakia, killing 12 terrorists, most of them were Turkish and Saudi.
A Saudi ringleader in al-Nusra Front [Jabhat al-Nusra], dubbed Abo Mo’aweya al-Mohajer was among the terrorists killed in the air strikes.
Moving towards the central region, Syrian warplanes destroyed two ISIS hideouts in al-Qaryateen town in the eastern countryside of Homs, as army units carried out qualitative operations against al-Nusra Front terrorists in al-Rastan, about 20km north of Homs city.
Many terrorist were killed and injured in the operations that coincide with destroying 3vehicles belonging to ISIS terrorists on the outskirts of Der Ezzour airbase and killing many terrorists in Daraa al-Balad and al-Mahatta quarters in the southern Daraa province.
20 sorties on 12 ISIS sites cause panic among terrorists: Konashenkov
In another development, Russian warplanes conducted 20 sorties against 12 ISIS sites in Idleb, Der Ezzour, Lattakia and Damascus countryside.
RT quoted Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman as saying: “”Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25 have launched air strikes on 12 objects of logistic infrastructure, command posts, training camps and facilities of militants belonging to terrorist groups allied with Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL].”
The Russian jets destroyed an Islamic State army munitions plant outside Damascus as well as two command centers in Deir ez-Zor, according to the ministry’s statement.
In Idleb province, a training camp for IS militants was eliminated, while several IS strongholds came under attack where ammunition depots were blown up.
Russia’s Su-34 fighters attacked an Islamic State stronghold near the Gmam settlement in Lattakia, where “militants’ fortifications were completely destroyed,” according to Konashenkov, who also reported “numerous blazes caused by the detonation of ammunition and fuel supplies.”
Russia’s targeted airstrikes have caused “panic” among the militants, Konashenkov said, also stressing that the attacks are not conducted in residential areas or places containing landmarks.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry does not rule out the possibility of Islamic State preparing provocative acts in Palmyra and other Syrian cities, such as bomb attacks on mosques, to put the blame for it on Russian aviation, Konashenkov said.
The ministry published a fresh video said to show extremists positioning their hardware near a mosque.
Russia has sent its warplanes to Syria upon a request from the Syrian state. It has been carrying out airstrikes in close cooperation with the Syrian army to ensure the attacks are maximally effective.
Basma Qaddour