Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have retaken control of a number of villages in the southern countryside of the northwestern province of Idlib following clashes with foreign-backed Takfiri militants.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that Syrian army troops and their allies – supported by artillery and missile units – regained full control of six villages, namely al-Huwash, al-Amiqa, Tanjarah, al-Ankawi, Shirmaghar and al-Arima, on Thursday after they directly targeted militant strongholds and fortification lines there.
SANA reporter: #Army units liberate the villages of #Tanjara, #al-Ankawi, #al-Huwash, #al-Amiqa, #Shirmaghar and #al-Arima in Idleb southern countryside, hunt down remnants of terrorists in the area.
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) February 27, 2020
The Syrian military offensives incurred heavy losses on the terrorists in terms of military hardware and personnel, forcing scores of them to flee to neighboring areas for their lives.
Syrian government forces have launched an operation to capture those extremists.
Later in the day, Syrian soldiers seized the strategic Shahshabou mountain, and linked up with their counterparts advancing in Kafar Awid region of Hama province.
SANA reporter: Information on establishing control over #Shahshabou mountain by #army units after the forces advancing from direction of #Kafr Ouaid met with the forces which are on the other side.
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) February 27, 2020
Syrian soldiers, Turkish-backed militants battle for control of strategic highway
Separately, Syrian soldiers and Turkish-backed militants were engaged in intense clashes over the control of the key M4 highway in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah.
SANA reporter: #Army units engage in fierce #clashes with #terrorist organizations which are backed by the Turkish regime in direction of #Saraqeb in #Idleb southeastern countryside.
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) February 27, 2020
The highway connects the flashpoint town of Saraqeb with government-held western coastal city of Latakia.
SANA reported that the fierce skirmishes between the two sides resulted in the closure of the M5 highway that connects Aleppo province in the north with the capital Damascus in the south.
The Syrian army secured the road earlier this month and opened it for travel and trade purposes for the first time in eight years.
SANA reporter: #Aleppo-Damascus International #Highway #cut off due to the #battels in the surroundings of #Saraqeb town
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) February 27, 2020
Syrian government troops captured Saraqeb from Turkish-backed militants on Feb. 6, which enabled the army to secure the M5.
Israeli drone strike kills civilian near Syria’s Golan Heights
Moreover, a civilian lost his life when an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Israeli military launched an airstrike in Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
SANA reporter in Quneitra: A #civilian #martyred after targeting his car by a #drone for the #Israeli enemy, south of #Hadar Town
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) February 27, 2020
SANA reported that the victim was traveling in his car along a road in Hader village on Thursday, when the Israeli drone fired a missile, killing him on the spot.
Syria finds Turkish-made weapons in ex-militant redoubt
Additionally, Syrian government forces carried out a string of clean-up operations in the southern sector of the country, discovering a substantial amount of munitions and medical supplies from former strongholds of foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.
SANA reported that the weapons included 14.5mm and 23mm machine guns, PK general-purpose machine guns, automatic rifles, a drone, tank shells, Fozlika artillery shells, 60mm, 80mm and 120mm mortar shells in addition to anti-armor rockets. Some of the munitions had been manufactured in Turkey.
Hundreds of kilograms of hashish were found at the sites as well.