News / Syria

Syrian govt. forces make territorial gains south of Damascus

Saturday, 19 May 2018 3:59 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 19 May 2018 5:07 PM ]

This handout picture released by SANA on May 14, 2018 shows government forces heading towards militant positions in Hajar al-Aswad district on the southern outskirts of Damascus.

Syrian government forces and allied fighters from popular defense groups have managed to make further advances on terrorists’ lines south of the capital Damascus, tightening the noose around foreign-backed terror groups.

Syrian army troops and their allies advanced in al-Hajar al-Aswad city, located just four kilometers south of the center of Damascus, on Saturday and established control over a number of building blocks on Uroba Street towards al-Wassim Mosque, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported.

The new progress gives government forces the upper hand to impose a complete siege on terrorists in the densely-populated al-Jazira region north of Hajar al-Aswad.

Also on Saturday, Internal Security Forces marched in the Houla region of the central province of Homs after Takfiri militants evacuated the area.

Syrian forces entered the towns of Kafr Laha, Taldahab and Taldou, and hoisted the national flag over government buildings there.

Units of Internal Security Forces were given great welcome by locals, who had gathered at the entrance to the towns, waving national flags and holding pictures of President Bashar al-Assad.

Electricity, water and technical service teams also entered the towns in order to restore the facilities and infrastructure that have been damaged in terrorist attacks.

This handout picture released by SANA on May 10, 2018 shows a Syrian army infantry-fighting vehicle (IFV) advancing through a street in al-Hajar al-Aswad as they push against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the area on the southern outskirts of the capital Damascus.

Separately, foreign-backed terrorists fired a number of mortar shells on residential buildings in the City of Baath and its outskirts in the southern province of Quneitra, causing only material damage.

Government forces responded to the attacks by targeting the sites from which the shells had been launched, and destroyed a number of terrorist fortifications.

Meanwhile, a civilian suffered serious gunshot wounds after terrorist snipers, positioned in Binnish city, opened fire on the locals of Kafriya and al-Fu'ah towns as they were heading to work.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.

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