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Syria in Past 24 Hours: Gov’t Forces Inching Closer to Push ISIL back from Large Region in 3 Provinces

The Syrian Army troops stormed ISIL’s positions in a besieged region among the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Idlib, taking control over nine more villages on Wednesday.

Idlib

The Syrian army men imposed control over the villages of al-Tarfawi, al-Marijab Shamali, al-Jadu’eiyeh Janoubi, al-Jadu’eiyeh Shamali, al-Baroudiyeh, al-Marami, al-Hamdaniyeh, Rasm al-Barjas al-Nasiriyeh and Abu Kahaf after a tough battle with ISIL terrorists trapped in a large region between the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Idlib.

The army’s engineering units started defusing bombs and landmines and the army units fortified their positions in the newly-freed villages.

Also in the past 24 hours, several civilians were killed or wounded after a refugee camp at Syria’s border with Turkey came under attack by the Kurdish militia, a Turkish media outlet reported.

The Turkish-language Yeni Safak daily reported that three civilians were killed and eight more were injured and the Kurdish militias’ mortar units deployed in Jandaris region targeted a camp of Syrian refugees in Atmeh border region in Idlib province.

The daily further said that seven civilians have thus far been killed and 113 more were wounded in the Kurdish forces’ attacks in Turkey’s Hatay and Kilis since January 21th.

Also on Wednesday, Russian military engineers arrived at the Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Southeastern Idlib to bring the airport back into operation, a media outlet reported.

The Arabic-language website of the AMN reported that the Russian technicians and engineers arrived at Abu al-Dhohour military airport that was recently freed by the Syrian Army from terrorists’ occupation.

The AMN further said that the Russian forces are to rebuild the facilities in the airbase and make them operational again, adding that the Russian Air Force will utilize the airbase to monitor military developments in Idlib province as soon as the airbase goes back into operation.

In the meantime, the Russian military forces deployed in Kuweires airbase in Eastern Aleppo are well prepared to carry out aerial operation if needed.

An Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday that the Turkish Air Force is to set up its first military airport in the Northwestern province of Idlib,.

The Arabic-language Ray al-Youm quoted an opposition source as disclosing that a Turkish military delegation arrived at Taftnaz airport near Fua’a and Kafraya regions and started to the test the airport’s facilities.

It further said that the Turkish delegation’s visit to Taftnaz airport was aimed at setting up an airbase for the Turkish forces, adding that the delegation further visited the town of Saraqib and moved to the border with Turkey.

Opposition sources had previously claimed that Turkey will establish only an airbase for its helicopters, adding that the airbase would include a Central Operation Room capable of monitoring military developments in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama provinces and the Mediterranean coast in Eastern Syria.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army troops stormed ISIL’s positions in a large besieged region among the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Idlib and freed 11 more villages.

The army men seized control over the villages of al-Daq, al-Salehiyah, al-Halibiyah, Najm al-Zohour, al-Masloukhiyah, Houma, Um Qarin, al-Samaqiyah, al-Wahibi, Nafaha and al-Tafaha after tough battle against the ISIL.

ISIL suffered heavy casualties and their military hardware sustained major damage in the attack.

Aleppo

A sum of Nine Turkish Army men and Ankara-backed militants were killed and several more wounded in clashes with the Kurdish militias in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo, a media outlet reported on Wednesday.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the Turkish army men and their allied militant groups suffered nine casualties in clashes with the Kurds in Shiheh region.

Hawar news added that the Kurdish fighters killed or wounded a number of the Turkish soldiers and allied militants in clashes near the village of Shikhourzeh and managed to destroy a military vehicle and seize a large volume of arms and ammunition.

The Kurdish fighters also destroyed a military vehicle of the Turkish army near the village of Humman in Jandariseh region, Hawar news said, adding that the entire Turkish soldiers on board were killed.

Also on Wednesday, control over villages, farms and heights in Afrin region in Northern Aleppo was exchanged again between the Turkish Army troops and Kurdish fighters, both Kurdish and Turkish sources confirmed.

The Turkish sources reported that the army and Ankara-backed militants captured a Kurdish-held base West of Afrin.

The sources further said that forces of the Operation Olive Branch managed to seize control over 5 small towns, 23 villages and farms and 11 hills and mounts and 36 vital points.

In the meantime, the Kurdish sources said that they have recaptured completely the village of Haj Bolbol in Shiheh region after beating back the Turkish soldiers and allied militants from the region.

Also on Wednesday, almost 1,000 Kurdish combatants have thus far been killed in Operation Olive Branch of the Turkish army and Ankara-backed militants in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo, the Turkish Army General Staff reported.

The General Staff said in a statement that 29 Kurdish militias were killed in clashes with the army men and allied militants in Afrin Region.

The statement further said that 999 Kurdish fighters have been killed since the start of Operation Olive Branch in Afrin.

Also in the past 24 hours, a large number Kurdish fighters and fresh recruits deployed in Hasaka in Northeastern Syria have arrived in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo amid intensifying clashes between the Kurds and the Turkish Army, a media outlet reported.

The Turkish-language state-run Anadolu news agency reported that the newly arrived convoy of the Kurdish fighters included hundreds of buses and vehicles.

It further said that over 2,000 gunmen recruited by the SDF were accompanying the convoy of 500 Kurdish militias.

Anadolu said that the convoy was sent from the towns of Qamishli, Ra’as al-Ein, Amouda, Hasaka city, al-Darabiyeh and Tal Hamis to Ein al-Arab (Kobani) region and later left Kibani along with the Kurdish fighters for Manbij and to be ultimately deployed in Afrin region.

Damascus

Dissident-affiliated websites reported on Wednesday that reconciliation talks are underway between Damascus and representatives of militant groups over affiliation of more regions in Eastern Qalamoun region to the nationwide peace plan.

The news websites reported that preliminary agreement has been reached for the implementation of a peace plan in Eastern Qalamoun after the representatives of militants, the Syrian Army commanders and a sum of civilians met in the town of al-Rahibeh.

The websites said that the agreement is comprised of eight paragraphs, including exit of arms and military hardware from al-Rahibeh, demilitarization of the region, reviewing militants’ pardoning and return of state institutions to the region.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Army air defense units confronted another Israeli air missile attack on a military position in Damascus province.

The General Command of the Syrian Army said in a statement said that warplanes of the Israeli enemy on 3:42 am on Wednesday fired several missiles from inside the Lebanese territories on one of our military positions in Damascus Countryside, and the air defense intercepted the missiles and destroyed most of them, SANA reported.

The statement added that the outrageous aggression comes in framework of the desperate and repeated attempts to raise the morale of the terrorist organizations which are collapsing in all areas and to encourage terrorists, the tools of the Israeli enemy, to continue their attacks against civilians, particularly in Damascus and its countryside.

The Command affirmed armed forces’ readiness to confront any attack and to continue the war against terrorism till eliminating it and restoring security and stability to all the Syrian territories.

The Command held Israel fully responsible for the dangerous repercussions of its repeated and uncalculated hostile adventures.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have yet to comment on the announcement, however, Haaretz reported, citing sources, that Israeli missiles had targeted a “research center” in the town of Jamraya, North of Damascus, Sputnik reported.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage as a result of the incident.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops managed to liberate 12 more villages in Northeastern Hama after fierce clashes with the ISIL terrorists, inflicting major losses on militants on Wednesday.

The villages of Jubb al-Raman, Hawa, Kheiriyeh, Hawa al-Sharqiyeh, Kheiriyeh Kabirh, Kheiriyeh Saqireh, Dalalah, Tal Halawa, Jubb Othman, Lobeideh, Maloulah and al-Sukra were liberated in the army men’s operation against ISIL in Northeastern Hama.

In the meantime, the Russian and Syrian fighter jets targeted ISIL’s positions in Southern Idlib and Northern Hama, inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists.

The army is purging terrorists from a large region among the province of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo.

Deir Ezzur

Local sources reported on Wednesday that severe tensions erupted between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and tribal people in Eastern Deir Ezzur, local sources reported on Wednesday.

The sources said that people in the village of al-Shahil stormed the SDF centers and captured nine of the Kurdish fighters after one of the villagers was reportedly killed by the SDF.

The villagers have called for the handover of the murderer.

The SDF has put its forces on alert following the unrest.

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