Aleppo

Syrian Army troops backed by its allies have engaged in an intense battle with Jeish al-Fatah in Housing Project 1070 in Southwestern Aleppo city, capturing more positions in the battlefield, military sources said Wednesday.

"The Syrian government forces continued to target Jeish al-Fatah's strongholds in Tal (hill) al-Ahd near the newly-freed hill of Tal Bazo," the sources said.

"In the first round of their attack, the government forces captured a part of Tal al-Ahd, inflicting major damage and heavy casualties on the militants," they added.

"With the seizure of Tal al-Ahd, the Syrian army and popular forces will be able to storm another main position of Jeish al-Fatah in Tal Mo'ata, which is close to al-Hikmah school, whose liberation will be easer after recapturing Tal al-Ahd and Tal Mo'ata," the sources pointed out.

Also, military sources disclosed on Wednesday that experienced commandoes of Desert Hawks Brigade have arrived in Aleppo city to join a large-scale battle against the terrorist groups in the region.

"The Syrian Special Forces, also known as Liwa Suqour al-Sahra, are also experienced in street battle," the sources said, adding, "The Brigade will lead the operation of government forces to drive Jeish al-Fatah out of Aleppo city and its outskirts in the next few days."

A military source disclosed on Tuesday that the Syrian Army troops and Air Force struck a large gathering of the terrorist groups in the Northern outskirts of Aleppo city, killing or wounding scores of them and foiling their plan to hit government strongholds.

"Following sensitive intel received from army agent in the region, the Syrian government forces and fighter jets carried out surprise attacks on terrorists' concentration centers in Haraytan and al-Malaah regions near Castello road to preempt them and defuse their plan for raiding army positions in the Northern outskirts of Aleppo city," an army officer told FNA.

"Dozens of militants were killed or wounded in the attack, and now the Castello road is safe and under the army's full control," he added.

Also, in the past 24 hours, Russian and Syrian warplanes and artillery units targeted reinforcements, gatherings and military columns of the terrorist groups in Northern and Western Aleppo, preventing their move towards Aleppo city to lift the army siege on the militant-held districts, Arab media reported.

Al-Watan reported that the terrorist groups in the Northern and Western territories of Aleppo province had been preparing to launch a large-scale operation, codenamed Great Epic Operation, against government positions around Aleppo city, but the Syrian armed forces and their Russian allies in a preemptive move attacked the militants' gatherings and foiled their plan.

"The Syrian Army's artillery units shelled the terrorists' gathering in the town of Kafr Dael in Northern Aleppo and near the town of al-Mansoureh in the Western countryside of Aleppo city, inflicting heavy losses on the militants, who were preparing to move towards Aleppo city," the source said.

"In the meantime, the Syrian and Russian fighter jets targeted a convoy of terrorist reinforcements, as they were moving into the region held by Turkey-backed terrorists of Nouralddeen al-Zinki from Idlib, inflicting a heavy death toll on them," the source went on to say.

"Three convoys of fresh militants were targeted and a large number of fighters were killed or wounded before arriving in al-Zinki-held region, which was deemed as the terrorists' start point for launching Great Epic Operation," the source added. 

Also, on Wednesday, the Syrian army soldiers and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters are engaged in an intense battle with Jeish al-Fatah terrorists to open their way into Southwestern Aleppo province to launch a massive operation to win back the key town of Khan Touman, military sources said.

"Following the recapture of the air defense battalion base and its nearby hills along the Aleppo-Khan Touman road, the Syrian government forces have launched a new round of attacks on Jeish al-Fatah to capture more strategic hills along the road and open a safe way towards the town," the sources said.

"The Syrian Air Force has also been targeting Jeish al-Fatah's gatherings in the neighborhoods of Rashedeen 4 and 5 and Arz al-Jabas, the town of Khalseh, Zeitan, Khan Touman, al-Eis, al-Zerbeh and along the Aleppo-Damascus highway, inflicting major losses and heavy casualties on the militants," the sources went on to say.

Also, in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army troops and popular forces fended off Jeish al-Fatah's offensive to take back the Air Defense Battalion base on the Southern outskirts of Aleppo city, killing at least 20 militants and wounding dozens more.

Syrian government forces, backed up by the country's fighter jets, repelled Jeish al-Fatah's attack on army positions at the air defense battalion, and claimed the lives of at least 20 terrorists.

Army reports said eight vehicles of the terrorists were also damaged completely in the battle.

A military source said on Wednesday that the Syrian air force and artillery units launched heavy strikes on ISIL positions in Deir Hafer, the terrorist group's second largest stronghold in Eastern Aleppo after al-Bab.

"The attacks destroyed 6 military vehicles of terrorists and killed dozens of the ISIL militants," a military source said.

Analysts believe that intensified army attacks on ISIL gathering centers in Deir Hafer and Maskanah which is seen as the gate to Raqqa province is a sign of imminent operations by the Syrian forces to capture the terrorist group's self-proclaimed capital.

Damascus

Syrian military forces stopped two pickups of terrorist groups and seized a large volume of ammunition and weapons heading towards militant-held regions in Damascus province.

Two shipments of weapons and ammunition which had been prepared to be sent to the militants in Qalamoun region were seized by army soldiers.

Also, on Wednesday, a long military column of the terrorist groups was destroyed by the Syrian Army as it was taking tens of fresh forces to Khan al-Sheih region in Western Ghouta.

The military convoy of Ahrar al-Sham and Fatah al-Sham Front, including a tank, four military vehicles and tens of fresh forces, came under heavy attack by the Syrian government forces on the way to Khan al-Sheih.

The convoy was to join terrorist groups in Khan al-Sheih to help them resist against the growing advances of the Syrian army in the region.

A large number of terrorists were killed or injured in the attack.

Also, in the past 24 hours, the Syrian military forces continued to beat the terrorist groups back from more lands in Khan al-Sheih region in Western Ghouta, capturing several farms after brief clashes.

Syrian army troops struck terrorists' defense lines in the farms between the Northwestern side of the town of Khan al-Sheih and the Southwestern side of the town of al-Zakiyeh, inflicting heavy casualties on the militants and capturing several farms.

The terrorist groups' military equipment sustained major damage in the attack.

Also, yesterday, the Syrian army soldiers and popular forces continued to strike at Jeish al-Islam's defense lines near the strategic city of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists.

Syrian government forces engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists of Jeish al-Islam in al-Reihan region and along the road connecting Tal Kurdi to Douma.

In the meantime, Syrian army units hit terrorists' centers hard near the town of al-Shifouniyeh, and captured more positions.

Farms around the towns of Jesrin and al-Mohammadiyeh were also the scenes of heavy fighting between the Syrian soldiers and Jeish al-Islam militants.

Syrian fighter jets, meantime, played a crucial role in beating the terrorists back from their positions in Eastern Ghouta.

Hama

Syrian Army soldiers and popular forces continued to drive Jeish al-Fatah out of more positions near the newly-freed town of Ma'an in Northern Hama, restoring security to three key regions on Wednesday.

The government forces inflicted major losses and a heavy death toll on Jund al-Aqsa and Fatah al-Sham Front and pushed them back from the regions of al-Borj and Zohrat al-Fatas and Tal (hill) Khirbet Kahileh.

The Jeish al-Fatah terrorist coalition, specially Fatah al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa, suffered a heavy death toll and pulled the remaining pockets of their forces back from the battlefield.

Also, on Wednesday, a notorious field commander of Tajamo al-Ezzah terrorist group was killed in heavy airstrikes in Northern Hama.

Syrian fighter jets pounded terrorists' concentration centers and gatherings near the towns of Souran, al-Latamina, Ma'an, Tal Bazam, Taybat al-Imam and Kafr Zita, killing scores of the militants, including commander of Tajamo al-Ezzah Mohammad al-Ashtar.

Several missile launchpads, mortar launchers and military vehicles of the terrorist groups were destroyed in the airstrikes as well.

Also, in the past 24 hours, Syrian government forces and military helicopters repelled ISIL's attack in the Eastern side of the town of al-Salamiyah, inflicting dozens of casualties on the terrorists.

ISIL launched a large-scale operation in al-Salamiyah region to capture a key triangle from the town of Aqarib, to the village of Eastern Mofaker and to the oil pipeline, but the Syrian government forces forced them to retreat from the battlefield with heavy fire.

The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and pulled back to evade more casualties.

The Syrian amry helicopters also targeted ISIL's vehicles and positions, playing a crucial role in repelling the terrorists' assault.

Homs

Syrian Army troops and National Defense Forces repelled ISIS ffensive on their defense lines in al-Maher oilfield in Eastern Homs, inflicting several casualties on the terrorists.

The Syrian government forces fended of ISIL's attack to recapture the position they have lost in the battles of the last several days.

The ISIL terrorists suffered a number of casualties in the failed attack.

Meantime, Syrian fighter jets pounded ISIL's centers in Arak oilfield and its nearby areas, near the town of al-Sukhnah and in the village of al-Tibeh in Eastern Homs.

Syrian army men also clashed with terrorist groups of Fatah al-Sham Front, Ahrar al-Sham and Rejalollah near the town of al-Rastan blocking their invasion, FNA reported.

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