Syrian Army Repels New Offensive by Terrorists in Demilitarized Zone of Hama

The army units targeted with artillery and missile fire Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) militants and their allies in areas near the town of al-Latamineh who aimed to infiltrate into the army-held regions near the town of Halfaya in Northern Hama.

The clashes left heavy tolls on the militants, forcing others to flee the region.

Meantime, the Syrian army forces attacked the terrorists' moves in the village of Lahaya who wanted to infiltrate into the army points, killing a number of them.

Field sources in Northern Syria reported that the Syrian army soldiers in Qalat Shalaf region in Northeastern Lattakia have been put on alert after the terrorists' heavy attacks against the army positions in the demilitarized zone.

The terrorists' refusal to implement the Sochi Agreement to establish a demilitarized zone is pushing the army to initiate its long-waited assault on militants in Idlib that had been put on hold due to the Sochi Agreement.

Colonel Mar'ei Hamdan, a Syrian military expert, was quoted by the Arabic-language website of Sputnik news agency as saying earlier this month that Tahrir al-Sham is in control of nearly 70% of towns and villages in Idlib province and makes provocative moves against the Syrian army, adding that the army's commitment to decrease tensions is not lasting forever.

He added that the Syrian army has so far repelled all attacks by terrorists against its positions and inflicted heavy damages on them, noting that the army is now necessitated to come out of the defensive mood to retake control of Idlib.

Hamdan said that Tahrir al-Sham will resort to a full-scale military operation against the Syrian and Russian armies soon, after rejecting the Sochi agreement last October, which leaves no room for ceasefire or disarmament anymore, and underlined that the Syrian army's battle against Tahrir al-Sham is inevitable.

Meantime, the Turkey-backed Ahrar al-Sham and National Liberation Front (NLF) terrorist groups has also dismissed the Russian-Turkish Sochi agreement and is preparing for military operations against the army in Northern Syria, calling for a coalition with Tahrir al-Sham.

Tahrir al-Sham and other allied terrorist groups have not left the demilitarized zone two months after the Sochi agreement and have instead reinvigorated their strongholds and targeted the army positions every day.

Relevant reports said last week that the Turkey-backed NLF had put its gunmen on alert to launch a heavy offensive against the Syrian army in the demilitarized zone in Idlib province.

The Arabic-language al-Watan reported that the Turkey-backed NLF had kept its fighters in and outside the demilitarized zone, envisioned in the Sochi Agreement, on alert for imminent war against the army.

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