Syria in Last 24 Hours:

Army Recaptures More Oilfields in Raqqa Province

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Syrian army and popular forces continued military operations in Raqqa, seizing back more strategic oilfields in the province.

News ID: 65658

Date: 19 August 2017 - 13:55

The army units, in cooperation with popular defense groups, established control over several oilfields, including al-Toweinan and al-Akram oilfields, in Raqqa province.

Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Homs and Damascus, over the past 24 hours.

Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in Syria's key provinces.

Raqqa

The Syrian Army troops engaged in tough battle with the ISIL and managed to take control over a number of energy-rich fields in the Southeastern part of Raqqa province, field sources reported on Friday.

The sources said that army men drove the ISIL out of al-Toweinan Gas Factory, al-Toweinan energy field, al-Akram energy field, Qarb al-Hossein energy field, al-Qadir energy field and al-Toweinan pumping station.

Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed or wounded and 15 military vehicles of terrorists were destroyed in the operation, they added.

The sources said that the army's engineering units have embarked on defusing bombs and landmines planted by ISIL in the newly-liberated regions.

In the meantime, the army troops, operating in Eastern Hama, took control of 13km of road connecting the town of Ithriya to al-Toweinan al-Karim reign and several hills and heights.

Homs

The Syrian Army forces stormed ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Homs and managed to drive terrorists out of two more key regions on Friday.

The army soldiers imposed control over Tali'ei al-Sharqi and Tali'ei al-Qarbi East of al-Shoumeriyeh mountains after hours of heavy fighting.

In the meantime, the army men warded off ISIL's attack on the pro-government forces' positions Northwest of the town of Humeimeh, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

Damascus

The Syrian Army and Air Force targeted terrorist groups' defense lines in Eastern Ghouta and western Qalamoun on Friday, inflicting major losses on the militants.

The army's missile units shelled heavily terrorists' positions along the road connecting the region of Jobar and Ein Terma, killing and wounding a number of militants.

In the meantime, the army aircraft bombed badly ISIL's strongholds in Qara'a and al-Jarajeer heights at border with Lebanon, inflicting major damage on them.

Hama

The Syrian Army troops, backed up the country's Air Force, have laid siege on ISIL in their last main stronghold in Eastern Hama, military sources confirmed on Friday.

The sources said that the army men have laid siege on a large number of ISIL terrorists in the town of Aqayrabat in Eastern Hama.

The sources added that the fighter jets pounded ISIL's movements in the villages of al-Hardaneh, Abu Habilat and Abu Hanaya in Eastern Hama.

In the meantime, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement that the Syrian soldiers, backed up by the Russian fighter jets, laid siege on a large number of ISIL terrorists in Aqayrabat, adding that the trapped ISIL militants were trying to escape from Aqayrabat towards Deir Ezzur.

Syria-Lebanon Border

The Syrian pro-government forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement were ready to launch a large-scale joint operation at Syria-Lebanon common border to drive ISIL terrorists out of the region, a military source said Friday.

The source said that a large military column of the Syrian Army soldiers and the National Defense Forces (NDF) personnel arrived in the Western part of the Qalamoun Mountains in the border region with Lebanon.

The pro-government reinforcements were sent to this front to aid in the upcoming offensive on the Lebanese border.

The source further said that the Syrian army men and Hezbollah are gearing up for one last showdown with the ISIL in the Jarajeer and Qarah barrens, which have long been under the control of the terrorist group.

The Syrian Army and Hezbollah have moved in position to launch their last Western Qalamoun offensive in order to take full control of the Lebanese border once and for all.

Another source in Damascus said that the Syrian Army and NDF have sent a large convoy of reinforcements to the Western slopes of the Qalamoun Mountains to beef up their numbers in the region.

The primary objective of this offensive will be to expel the ISIL militants from the Jarajeer and Qarah barrens, which they have had control of since 2015, the source pointed out.

Once the ISIL is expelled from the Jarajeer and Qarah barrens, the Syrian government will have full control of the Lebanese border for the first time since 2011.