News / Syria

Syrian army forces find US-made missiles in former militant hideout in Hama

Thursday, 26 September 2019 4:34 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 26 September 2019 6:28 PM ]

Syrian government forces are transported in the back of trucks toward the town of Khan Sheikhun in the northern Idlib province on August 24, 2019, after they announced the total control of the city a day before. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian government forces have carried out a string of clean-up operations in the country’s west-central province of Hama, discovering US-built missiles, munitions produced by NATO member states and communication devices from former strongholds of Takfiri terrorists.

An unnamed military source told reporters that Syrian soldiers launched an operation in al-Lataminah town, located 39 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital city of Hama, on Thursday to clear the area of hidden explosive devices and ordnance left behind by militants, the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported.

The source added that the weapons were hidden inside a cave, which was part of a long underground network that used to accommodate some five thousand militants. Terrorists purportedly used it as a base to launch attacks on government forces.

Local officials found that the network had been dug by terrorists, with the help of foreign machinery, more than four years ago, the source added.

Separately, government army units uncovered caches of arms in addition to anti-personnel and anti-tank mines that were used by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the same Syrian province.

This picture taken on September 26, 2019 shows weapons seized by Syrian government forces during a clean-up operation in Syria’s western town of Arba'in, Hama province. (Photo by SANA)

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that government troops launched a clean-up operation in Arba'in town, located in the Mahardah district of Hama province, and discovered various types of ammunition, including 60mm and 120mm mortar rounds, tank shells, 14.5mm heavy machine guns and precision-guided bombs.

Elsewhere in the southern town of al-Harra, Syrian army forces found weapons and telecommunication devices left behind by terrorists.

This picture taken on September 26, 2019 shows weapons seized by Syrian government forces during a clean-up operation in Syria’s southern town of al-Harra, Dara’a province. (Photo by SANA)

A local source, requesting not to be named, told SANA that the seized weapons included rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, artillery shells, mortar shells, telecommunication devices, and night-vision goggles.

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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