© Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev
The Syrian Army backed by popular forces has taken control over the Suniyat-Homs mountain range, two kilometers away from the town of Al-Qaryatayn, in central Syria.
The operation to liberate the Christian town of Al-Qaryatayn from Daesh militants began on Saturday morning. Covered by artillery fire, vanguard units of the army and its allies began an assault from the south, southeastern and northwestern directions, a RIA Novosti correspondent
reported.
In a few hours, according to Syrian officers, over 30 militants were killed. Seven personnel were injured.
The liberated heights helped the Syrian Army take control over Al-Qaryatayn and its neighborhoods.Now, heavy military hardware and the bulk forces are deploying to the liberated mountain range. Engineer teams are working at the sites.
Currently, active combat actions are over. Artillery units are shelling the outskirts of the town. Terrorists are showing weak resistance. According to the military, the storm of the city is impossible until routes of approach to the town are explored by bomb specialists.
Some data show that
while retreating, terrorists managed to lay mines on the roads and inside buildings in Al-Qaryatayn.
The Christian town was seized by Daesh terrorists in August 2015. Terrorists turned it into their main stronghold in southern Homs.
From Al-Qaryatayn, militants moved reinforcements and ammunition to Palmyra to fight against government forces.
Comment: Ceasefire UpdateAfter a period of stagnation, more militia groups and towns have joined the truce. The totals now stand at
56 towns and 44 armed groups. 1230 mines and IEDs have been defused in and around Palmyra. al-Nusra continues provocations in northwestern Aleppo, near the border with Turkey. The fighting there continues. Ziad Fadel at
SyrPer humorously commented on the discredited Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' announcement of a 'glorious' Nusra offensive as follows:
Amazingly, news sources as widespread as UPI, API, Reuters, inter alia, (with reporters everywhere but in Syria) are quoting this lunatic who has "zero" sources inside Syria and whose only access to news is the MI6 Department of Creative Writing at Vauxhall Cross in London.
In reality, Nusra was destroyed, losing 41 (mostly foreigners, including many Turks) to the Russian/Syrian response, and allowing the SAA to enlarge their control over the surrounding area. Fadel writes:
The fact remains that the British terrorist handlers, most of whom are MI6 independent contractors formerly with the agency or retirees from SAS, cannot keep any secrets. They use mediocre communications platforms which are easily intercepted by the Russian military, the Syrian counterintelligence branch of the MI or HZB, which is proving itself to be surprisingly adept at the most complicated forms of encryption and deciphering. Not only that, citizens are regularly reporting events to the MoI which uniquely controls 3 separate intelligence agencies all reporting to Maj. Gen. Muhammad Ibraheem Al-Sha'aar. The Intel was clear: British handlers in Gaziantep would micro-manage the assault based on detailed satellite and drone intelligence from the CIA and MI6.
When the assault started at the time mentioned herein-above, you could hear British accented voices barking out orders in execrable Arabic - so dreadful it sounded like bad Spanish. It was only a few times, according to Wael, when a fluent speaker of Syrian Arabic could be heard with British voices in the background correcting this message or modifying this order. It was as though they were playing team table tennis using Korean.
Comment: Ceasefire Update
After a period of stagnation, more militia groups and towns have joined the truce. The totals now stand at 56 towns and 44 armed groups. 1230 mines and IEDs have been defused in and around Palmyra. al-Nusra continues provocations in northwestern Aleppo, near the border with Turkey. The fighting there continues. Ziad Fadel at SyrPer humorously commented on the discredited Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' announcement of a 'glorious' Nusra offensive as follows: In reality, Nusra was destroyed, losing 41 (mostly foreigners, including many Turks) to the Russian/Syrian response, and allowing the SAA to enlarge their control over the surrounding area. Fadel writes: