Syrian government forces have reportedly managed to establish complete control over dozens of areas across the war-ravaged Arab country following intense clashes with members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that Syrian Air Force fighter jets pounded Daesh positions and armored vehicles in Deir Malihan, Dibsi Afnan and al-Qadisiyah villages of the troubled and militant-held northern province of Raqqah, killing and injuring dozens of terrorists.
Separately, Syrian army troops, backed by volunteer fighters from popular defense groups, regained full control over the hilly regions of Tal Dakwa, Tal Dukhan, Tal Abu al-Nayyas, Tal al-Hallak and Tal al-Matallah on the eastern of the capital Damascus.
A large number of terrorists was killed during the liberation operations.
Elsewhere in the southeastern flank of Syria’s northern province of Aleppo, army troops and allied fighters restored security and stability to 37 villages, killing more than 500 Daesh extremists in the process.
An unnamed military official said Syrian forces also injured hundreds of the Takfiris, and destroyed six battle tanks and two armored vehicles. Syrian government soldiers and their allies shot down three unmanned aerial vehicles as well.
Meanwhile, army units, in cooperation with pro-government forces, fought the last pockets of Daesh terrorists in al-Badayah district southeast of the ancient city of Palmyra in the west-central Homs Province.
The forces also established control over al-Abassiyah region as well as the historic Hammamat al-Zonoubiyah area.
Furthermore, Syrian warplanes bombarded Daesh vehicles and positions in the west-central province of Hama, killing and injuring many terrorists.
And, Syrian army units foiled Daesh attacks on a number of military posts in the southern outskirts of Dayr al-Zawr city, inflicting heavy losses upon the Takfiris in terms of military equipment and personnel.
Syria has been fighting different foreign-sponsored militant groups since March 2011. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated last August that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then.
Syrian army, allies gain control over part of border with Jordan
Meanwhile, the Russian General Staff announced on Friday that Syrian government troops and allied fighters have established control over a part of the country's border with Jordan.
Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Syria, said army soldiers now control 105 kilometers of the Syria-Jordan border, and have already installed nine checkpoints there.
“As part of the advance of the Syrian army and militia on Daesh's positions, the control over 105 kilometers of the Syrian-Jordanian border has been restored,” he stated.
Also on Friday, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, the head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Directorate, leveled strident criticism at the US-led coalition for bombing the Syrian army, letting Daesh terrorists escape encirclement and enhancing terrorists in Palmyra and Dayr al-Zawr.
“We see that coalition's actions only prevent the government forces from defeating Daesh terrorists,” he said.
Rudskoi highlighted that the Russian military sees no significant results of the coalition's fight against terrorism, and calls on it to focus on the fight against terror instead of bombing the Syrian army.