Syrian army presses advance in Jisr Esh Shugur and Qalamoun battles

PROVINCES,(ST)_Syrian army has recaptured a hill in Idlib countryside and has made a progress in al-Qalamoun area in Damascus countryside and on the outskirts of al-Nabi Yunis plateau and Jeb al-Ahmar area in northern Lattakia countryside, according to the official news agency (SANA).

The recapture of Khattab hill, east of Jisr Esh Shugur city, came two days after army units expanded their control over key points in the northwestern countryside of Hama and in the eastern edge of Jisr Esh Shugur city.

Some media reports said that Syrian army recaptured al-Msherfeh town, south-east of the city of Jisr Esh Shugur, but official sources have not yet confirmed this .  

Scores of terrorists, including foreign ones, were killed on the outskirts of Ghanyeh and Ishtabraq towns and in al-Mo’allaqa town in Jisr Esh Shugur countryside, a military source declared yesterday.

It added that dozens of al-Nusra Front vehicles were destroyed on Jisr Esh Shugur-Ein Suda axis during airstrikes carried out by Syrian warplanes.

More vehicles belonging to the al-Nusra Front and the so-called the ‘Ahrar al-Sham Movement’ were destroyed when Syrian warplanes bombed terrorist groupings in towns of Samkofeh, Jeb al-Ahmar, Rweset Khandaq al-Setrik, al-M’ghera and Tertyah in the northern countryside of Lattakia.

Fresh progress  

Last night, army units in cooperation with popular defense groups recaptured 5 areas – al-Zainoneh hill, Joret M’gharte al-Rashwan, Rweset al-Mloha, Rweset Joret Z’eter and Rweset al-Jora al-Modawara – on the outskirts of al-Nabi Yunis plateau and Jeb al-Ahmar area in the northern countryside of Lattakia.

The Turkish Racep Tayyip Erdogan and the Saudi regime support terrorist organizations in Idlib, Aleppo and Lattakia countryside.

In the central region, army units continued to target hideouts of al-Nusra Front and the ISIS in the northern and eastern countryside of Homs where many terrorists were killed and injured.

Clashes in Daraa

While in the southern front, an army unit clashed today with an armed terrorist group that tried to attack the people of Khebet Ghazaleh town in the northeastern countryside of Daraa.  

“The terror group was coming from Da’el town,” a military source clarified, adding that all the group’s members died during the clashes.

Another clash erupted between another army unit and a terrorist group trying to attack a military post in al-Hrak town, about 30km north-east Daraa.

“Most of the terrorist group’s members were mowed down and their vehicles were destroyed,” the source confirmed, indicating that army units destroyed a convoy of vehicles belonging to terrorists in Em al-Awsaj town and al-Harra city in parallel with eliminating many of a-Nusr Front terrorists in Tal al-Mal in the northwestern countryside of Daraa.

Earlier today, a military source declared that that army units carried out a qualitative operations against al-Nusra Front hideouts in al-Tiha and Kafer Shams towns in the northeastern countryside of Daraa.

The operations resulted in the death of many terrorists and destruction of 3 hideouts including weapons and bombs.

There were other military operations in Mas’hara town in Quneitra countryside and in an area located east of al-Rashedeh town in the eastern countryside of Sweida.

Several vehicles were destroyed during the operations.

The US, the UK, Israeli, Saudi, Qatari, French and Turkish intelligence agents run the Amman operations Command (MOC) which gives order to terrorist organizations operating in Daraa and Quneitra countryside, world media reports confirm.

Qalamoun battle

In another development, the Beirut-based al-Mayadeen TV channel reported that Syrian army and the Lebanese resistance regained control of al-M’esra, Em al-Rakeb and al-Dorat hill in al-Qalamoun area outside Damascus.

Over 20 terrorists were killed during the battles with Syrian army and resistance in the said areas.  

Leader of the ‘Shohadaa Hosh arab’ Brigade, Ahmad Othman was killed during clashes with Syrian army and resistance in al-Jebbeh barrens in al-Qalamoun area, al-Mayadeen said.

It added that Syrian army and resistance regained control over wadi al-Kniseh crossing, which lies between al-Jebbeh barrens and Asal al-Ward.

Separately, SANA said that 120 wanted persons from Damascus and Hama turned themselves in to the competent authorities for regularizing their situations.  

Basma Qaddour