ISIS update 12/25/2016..Syrian Army likely to launch on Palmyra, Idlib, after Aleppo victory

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‘Syrian Army Likely to Launch Offensive on Palmyra, Idlib, after Aleppo Liberation

The Syrian Army which recently liberated Aleppo from terrorists will focus in 2017 on boosting its positions around the city and then will engage to retake control over Palmyra and, possibly, continue an offensive on Idlib, a media expert said.

It is expected that in 2017, the “Syrian Army will focus its efforts on preventing possible counteroffensives by militants. The military will also protect infrastructure facilities and residential areas which are already controlled by the government. Another important goal is retaking Palmyra,” said Igor Korotchenko, chief editor of the Russian magazine National Defense, RIA Novosti reported.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry’s center for Syrian reconciliation said that the Syrian army operation to liberate Aleppo’s Eastern neighborhoods was over, and that Syrian government troops were eliminating separate hotbeds of militant resistance.

On Thursday, the Syrian army declared victory in Aleppo as the last convoy with militants left the city’s east.

The liberation of Aleppo from the radical element is the most important component of a full normalization in Syria, and I hope in the region as a whole,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

ISIL terrorists first seized the ancient city of Palmyra in spring 2015 and a year later was forced out by Syrian government troops with air support from Russian jets.

On December 11, Palmyra was recaptured by the ISIL, which pushed the Syrian army out and forced units to regroup at an airbase dozens of miles westward from the city. The expert underscored that the importance of retaking Palmyra is due to its strategic locations and unique cultural artefacts. “Another task is to improve combat capabilities of the Syrian Army and boost morale of Syrian troops. Then, the army may launch an operation to liberate Idlib,” he suggested.’

Front line battle of Mosul

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Battle for Mosul Day 69: Iraqi Forces Capture 46 Neighborhoods in Mosul

The comprehensive military campaign to liberate the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul continued on Sunday as Iraqi Security Forces made major gains in the fight against ISIL militants in Northwestern Nineveh Province.

Iraqi Forces Capture 46 Neighborhoods in Mosul amid ISIL Retreat

The Iraqi Security Forces made major gains in the fight against ISIL militants in Mosul city of Iraq’s Northwestern Nineveh Province.

The Iraqi Army General Command reported that their forces have captured dozens of neighborhoods in the city of Mosul after fierce clashes with ISIL, ARA News reported.

Supported by the US-led coalition’s air cover, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Units and army forces secured at least 46 neighborhoods in Eastern Mosul.

According to the Iraqi Army General Command, the first phase of the battle for Mosul was concluded on Saturday, and ISIL has so far lost more than 44% of territory it used to control in Nineveh Province.

Iraqi Counterterrorism Commander: New Round of Mosul Liberation Operation Imminent

Commander of Iraq’s Counterterrorism Department Major General Sami al-Arezi disclosed that his forces have been supplied with the needed weapons, military equipment and ammunition to start their second round of Mosul liberation operations.

“The needed ammunition and military equipment has been sent to all fronts in Nineveh province,” Major General al-Arezi told FNA on Sunday.

He said that all the military units are receiving the required supplies to start their fresh operation in Mosul.

“We have sent sufficient weapons and ammunition for Iraq’s joint military forces in different parts of Mosul,” Major General al-Arezi added.

Iraq’s Hashd Sha’abi Forces Kill Nearly 300 Terrorists Southwest of Mosul

Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Sha’abi) killed 300 terrorists belonging to the ISIL terrorist group and set ablaze seven vehicles during a foiled attack by the militants launched against the Iraqi forces, Southwest of Mosul city.

“Hashd Sha’abi forces and Hezbollah Brigades killed nearly 300 ISIL militants and burnt seven vehicles they had,” a military source of the PMF said, Al Manar reported.

Earlier in December, PMF announced the end of the fifth phase of their operations to liberate the areas around Mosul, however the operation to liberate the city has slowed and faced with some obstacles due to inhumane methods used by ISIL, which has resorted to using local residents as human shield.

Iraqi Army Purges More Areas of Terrorists in Northern Mosul, Air Force Conducts 1700 Sorties over City

The Iraqi armed forces managed to purge the ISIL terrorists from several districts in the Northern part of the city of Mosul on Sunday as the country’s air force announced that it has conducted 1,700 sorties over Mosul since the beginning of the operation.

Iraq’s joint military forces fortified their military positions in strategic al-Hayakel and al-Fallah districts as well as the cement factory.

The Iraqi forces took control of al-Hayakel and al-Fallah districts on Saturday after several hours of fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists.

Mosul’s al-Hayakel district located in Northern Mosul city is now under the Iraqi armed forces’ control, the Arabic-language media quoted unnamed local sources as saying.

2 Senior ISIL Security Commanders Killed in Iraqi Missile Strikes on Mosul

Two notorious ISIL security commanders along with a number of terrorists were killed in an Iraqi missile attack on their base in the city of Mosul, the country’s Federal Police Command announced on Sunday.

“Abu Seif and Abu Ayoub al-Qoreishi, senior ISIL commanders, were killed when an Iraqi missile hit the terrorist group’s military base in Hay al-Qods on the West and Bab al-Toub on the East of Mosul city,” Iraqi Federal Police Commander Raed Shaker Judat said.

Several other ISIL terrorists were also killed in the Iraqi air attacks on the terrorist group’s military positions in Mosul city.

Farsnews

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