"And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness, the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief. "

Khalil Gibran (How I Became a Madman)

Lübnan Marunîleri / Yasin Atlıoğlu

NEWS AND ARTICLES / HABERLER VE MAKALELER

Monday, October 30, 2017

Lavrentyev: Suriye Halk Kongresi, Rusya'da toplanabilir- Sputnik News

Rusya Devlet Başkanı Vladimir Putin'in Suriye Özel Temsilcisi Aleksandr Lavrentyev, Suriye'deki tüm etnik grupların davet edileceği Halk Kongresi'nin Rusya'da düzenlenmesinin değerlendirilen ihtimallerden biri olduğunu söyledi.
Suriye barış görüşmelerinin 7. turunun başladığı Kazakistan'ın başkenti Astana'da gazetecilere açıklamalarda bulunan Lavrentyev, Rusya lideri Vladimir Putin'in geçen hafta Suriyeli taraflara teklif ettiklerini açıkladığı Suriye Halk Kongresi'nin düzenlenme yerine ilişkin olarak Rusya dahil çeşitli seçeneklerin değerlendirildiğini belirtti.
Lavrentyev ayrıca, kongrenin isminin 'Ulusal Diyalog Kongresi' olmasına karar verildiğini kaydetti.
'ESAD, REFORMLARA HAZIR'
Daha önce Suriye'de yapılacak siyasal reformların, kongredeki tartışma konularında biri olacağını kaydeden Lavrentyev, Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esad'ın, ülkesindeki anayasal reformların hazırlık sürecini başlatmaya hazır olduğunu da ekledi. Daha önce RİA Novosti ajansına bilgi veren bir kaynak, Kürt ve Türkmenler de dahil Suriye'deki tüm etnik grupların davet edileceği Suriye Halk Kongresi'nin kasım ortasında Rusya'nın Soçi kentinde toplanabileceğini söylemişti.

Hariri Congratulates Lebanese Businessmen on Their Release, Hails Efforts Exerted- Naharnet

Prime Minister Saad Hariri congratulated three Lebanese men on their liberation over the weekend after their abduction a week earlier in Iraq, Hariri's media office said in a statement on Monday.
Hariri contacted one of the former abductees, businessman Imad al-Khatib, congratulating him along with the two other Lebanese, Nader Hamadeh and George Batrouni, on their safe release, said the statement.
Hariri conveyed his gratitude “to all those who had worked and contributed to the release of the Lebanese citizens, expressing appreciation for the Iraqi government and intelligence chief for their cooperation and concern in liberating them from their captors.”
He also praised the Lebanese security apparatuses for their “relentless efforts to ensure the safe release of the abductees.”
Three Lebanese men kidnapped in Iraq were liberated at dawn Sunday in a "joint operation" carried out by Lebanese and Iraqi intelligence agencies.

Russia’s military campaign in Syria fulfilled its chief goals, lawmaker says- TASS


Syria's government forces are expected to restore control over its eastern border by the end of 2017

ASTANA, October 30. /TASS/. Key tasks of Russia’s military campaign in Syria have been nearly fulfilled and the Arab republic’s government forces will restore control over its eastern border by the end of 2017, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov said on Monday.


"In general, we can say that major tasks of Russia’s military operation in Syria have been almost accomplished," Shamanov told a meeting of the lower houses of parliament of Kazakhstan and Russia in Astana.

"We expect that by the end of this year (Syrian) government forces will restore control over the eastern border of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic State (terror group, outlawed in Russia) won’t exist anymore as an organized military structure," he said.


Their Caliphate in Ruins, IS Militants Melt Into the Desert- Naharnet

Islamic State militants, routed from one urban stronghold after another in Syria, have recently been moving deeper into Syria's remote desert, where experts say they are regrouping and preparing their next incarnation.
The Sunni militants' self-proclaimed "caliphate" with its contiguous stretch of land — linking major cities such as Syria's Raqqa and Iraq's Mosul — may have been vanquished, but many agree this territorial defeat will not mark the end of IS.
Beyond the urban and inhabited areas lies the vast Syrian Desert, also known as Badiyat al-Sham, famous for its caves and rugged mountains. It encompasses about 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) across parts of southeastern Syria, northeastern Jordan, northern Saudi Arabia, and western Iraq.
The desolate landscape is a perfect hideout and a second home for many IS militants from the days before the birth of their caliphate. Experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to mount search operations — and even more to put the desert under permanent control.
Once they melt into the desert, without an army of tens of thousands of supporters from dozens of countries, IS jihadis will resort to guerrilla-style attacks: scattered hit-and-run attacks and suicide bombings.
"They love fighting battles in the desert and they will go back to the old ways," said Omar Abu Laila, a Europe-based opposition activist originally from Syria's eastern province of Deir el-Zour, which lies in the heart of Badiyat al-Sham.

Appointment of Lebanese Ambassador to Syria Raises Controversy- Naharnet

Lebanon has recently appointed a new ambassador to Syria in a move that raised controversy as the new diplomat prepares to begin his duties next month.
President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have signed a decree appointing the new ambassador, Saad Zakhia, who is expected to begin his duties early in November, said al-Joumhouria daily on Monday.
The move has raised controversy and Hariri has defended the step in a tweet over the weekend saying “the presence of a Lebanese embassy in Syria confirms our independence and sovereignty.”
Presidential Palace circles were surprised at the uproar raised by some about the appointment of Zakhia, said the daily.
“The decree is the actual translation of the cabinet's decision to appoint new ambassadors in various countries. The decree, is like other special decrees distributed to all Arab and Western countries,” Baabda circles told the daily on condition of anonymity.
On the other hand, al-Joumhouria quoted sources from the Lebanese Forces party who said they “were surprised by the urgency and necessity of appointing a Lebanese ambassador in Syria, despite the fact that there is no political life in Syria.”
They added: “Despite our reservation as for the urgency of the appointment, and if we assume that this procedure was routine, we will never accept that the ambassador submits his credentials to (Syrian President) Bashar Assad,” they noted and described the move as an “insult to the Lebanese people, to the Lebanese judiciary and the Arab family.”

Syrian Army conducts cunning ambush in northeastern Daraa- Al-Masdar

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:15 A.M.) – On Sunday evening, rare skirmishes broke out in the otherwise largely peaceful northeastern countryside of Daraa.
According to Al-Masdar News correspondent Ibrahim Joudeh, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) observed two insurgent technicals crossing a so-called ‘red line area’ in the rural region, prompting government forces to fire an anti-tank missile upon the hostile vehicles despite a de-escalation agreement covering the province.

Syrian war: All you need to know about the Astana talks- Al-Jazeera

Representatives of the Syrian government and some armed opposition groups are meeting in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Monday for talks aimed at implementing a lasting ceasefire agreement.
Though there have been several international initiatives aimed at bringing the war, now in its seventh year, to an end, the latest round of Astana talks is aimed at establishing four so-called "de-escalation zones" in mainly opposition-held areas of the country, with Russia, Turkey and Iran acting as guarantors.
The meeting is expected to call for a cessation of hostilities between anti-government groups and forces fighting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad, for a period of at least six months.
The plan, which has not yet been published, will call for all aircraft to be banned from flying over these areas, rendering them no-fly zones
Sources have told Al Jazeera that the October 30-31 meeting will also discuss the release of hostages, prisoners, delivery of food and aid to besieged areas, the transfer of dead bodies and the search for missing persons.

What areas will be 'de-escalation zones'?

The zones will cover four areas of Syria:
Zone 1: Parts of Idlib province, as well as parts of northeastern Latakia province, western areas of Aleppo province and northern areas of Hama province.
There are more than one million civilians in this zone and its rebel factions are dominated by Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance largely controlled by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate.
Zone 2: Eastern Ghouta, in the northern Damascus countryside.
About 690,000 civilians live there.
Jaish al-Islam, a major rebel faction in eastern Ghouta, is participating in the Astana talks.
Zone 3: The Rastan and Talbiseh enclave in northern Homs province.
There are approximately 180,000 civilians in this zone and its network of rebel groups includes HTS.
Zone 4: The rebel-controlled south along the border with Jordan that includes parts of Deraa and Quneitra provinces.
Up to 800,000 civilians live there.
According to Syrian opposition sources, checkpoints will be positioned within the "de-escalation zones" to facilitate the free movement of unarmed civilians and humanitarian access to the areas.

Rusya: Türkiye'nin İdlib'deki duruma istikrar getirmesini umuyoruz- Sputnik News

Rusya Devlet Başkanlığı Suriye Özel Temsilcisi Aleksandr Lavrentyev, İdlib'deki gerilimi azaltma bölgesinde hâlâ teröristler tarafından bir saldırı gerçekleşme ihtimali olduğunu, Türkiye'nin durumu istikrara kavuşturmasını umduklarını söyledi.

Russia Today (RT) ve Rossiya-24 televizyonuna konuşan Lavrentyev, "İdlib'de bir gerilimi azaltma bölgesi kurulması kararı çok önemli bir karardı. Bu sayede sahadaki durumu önemli ölçüde istikrara kavuşturabildik. Elbette bölgedeki bazı grupların provokatif eylemlerinden kaynaklı belli başlı zorluklar var. Bu gibi olumsuzlukları da elimizden geldiğince ortadan kaldırmaya çalışıyoruz" dedi.
Gerilimi azaltma bölgesinde kurulan gözlem ve denetim noktalarının iyi şekilde faaliyet gösterdiğini belirten Lavrentyev, "Türk meslektaşlarımızın henüz denetim noktalarının tamamını kurmadığı İdlib'deki gerilimi azaltma bölgesine bazı zorlu durumlar hâlâ mevcut. Dolayısıyla bölgedeki gerginlik çok yüksek ve daha önceki gibi radikal örgütler tarafından bir saldırı gerçekleştirilme tehlikesi de devam ediyor. Ancak Türk partnerlerimizin bir şekilde İdlib'deki gerilimi azaltma bölgesi ile ilgili sorumluluklarını yerine getirip durumu istikrara kavuşturmasını umuyoruz" ifadelerini kullandı.
‘SURİYE'DEKİ TUTSAKLARIN SERBEST BIRAKILMASI KONUSUNDA İLERLEME KAYDEDİLMESİNİ UMUYORUZ'
Kazakistan'ın başkenti Astana'da bugün Suriye barış görüşmelerinin 7. turu başladı. Görüşmelerde Rusya heyetine başkanlık eden Lavrentyev, tutsaklar, mahkumlar ve ölenlerin cesetlerinin iadesi konusunda bir ilerleme kaydedilmesini umduklarını da ekledi.

Aoun establishes solid record in first year- Daily Star

BEIRUT: A year on, it’s hard to argue that President Michel Aoun hasn’t made swift work through promises made in his inaugural speech 365 days ago, despite being a divisive choice for the post at the time. As he was sworn in, Aoun said that Lebanon’s “first obligation was to adopt an electoral law that ensures fair representation, prior to the next elections.”
Lawmakers and officials passed a new vote law in June, ending nearly eight years of wrangling. The new system uses proportional representation for the first time in the country’s history. Despite some accusations of gerrymandering and seat-moving between districts for political gains, it is a new system that was agreed without the help of outside influence. Also, the new – and still untested – electoral law makes predicting outcomes and voting patterns more difficult for major parties.
Case in point, few electoral alliances have been announced or formed, even as electoral rhetoric has started to ramp up ahead of the spring 2018 election day. “It is way too early and we honestly do not know because these elections are not going to be able to be predicted like the ones before,” a source within a leading political party told The Daily Star.
The second point in the former Army general’s oath on Oct. 31, 2016 was that “the first of the pillar of security is national unity.”
Even as Lebanon did not have a president for over two years prior to Aoun’s appointment, security in the country had stabilized after the difficult years between 2011 and early 2014 and remained relatively calm compared to the region.
Also under Aoun was the Army’s successful operation against Daesh (ISIS) on the northeast border in August that drove the militant group out of the country.
The offensive concluded a three-year saga that began with the border town of Arsal falling to Daesh militants and ended with a robust Army offensive, with minimal casualties, successfully routing the militant forces from the country. It also ended with the recovery of the remains of 10 Lebanese servicemen, eight of whom had been killed by Daesh sometime after they were kidnapped in 2014.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri formed a national unity government shortly after Aoun took office – in stark contrast to the 10 months it took to form a government under the previous administration.
Parliament and Cabinet’s continuous work is testament to Aoun’s record and the prevailing national unity. However, it has been telling that the usual underlying rhetorical political salvos fired between camps have risen from some of the lowest levels the country had seen in years to worrying heights even when measured against darker periods past.
The unlikely bedfellows of Aoun and Hariri buried the hatchet after a yearslong cold war. Their cooperation has since played a large role in reactivating state institutions and passing laws – including the electoral bill. However, the sense of national unity that helped form a nearly all-inclusive government – save the self-declared opposition Kataeb Party – has been threatened.
This brings us to Aoun’s next declaration: the “necessity to dissociate Lebanon from external conflicts, while remaining committed to the Charter of the League of Arab States, and in particular Article 8 thereof, and adopting an independent foreign policy based on Lebanon’s higher interest and the respect of international law, in view of safeguarding the country as an oasis of peace, stability and convergence.”
Regarding the Syrian war and its impact on Lebanon’s economy, stability and safety, Aoun said he would work on “ensuring a quick return for the Syrian refugees to their homeland ... in cooperation with the concerned states and authorities, and in a responsible coordination with the U.N.” Political divisions have deepened over this issue and the correct way to go about the “safe return” of refugees. This extends to the treatment of the estimated 450,000 Palestinian refugees stripped of their homeland years ago and still living in Lebanon.
Some sides – particularly Hezbollah, Amal Movement, Marada Movement – have called for direct contact with Damascus over the issue. However, others – mainly the Lebanese Forces and Future Movement – have called for coordination with the United Nations and ruled out any direct contact with Syria.

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Army retakes more villages in Homs, advance towards al-Mayadeen city in Deir Ezzor- SANA

Provinces, SANA- A military source announced restoring control over the villages of Tal Shehab and al-Laj in the eastern countryside of Homs after eliminating the last gatherings of ISIS in them.
The source told SANA that army units carried out on Thursday morning a military operation against ISIS gatherings in the villages of Tal Shehab and al-Laj to the east of Jebb al-Jarrah in eastern Homs.
As a result of the operation, the army re-established control over the villages completely after killing 20 terrorists, injuring 13 others and destroying their equipment.
Later, units of army regained control over the villages of al-Wadiha, Salam Sharqi and Um Twinah near Jub al-Jarah in Homs eastern countryside.
Army units continued their advance to eliminate ISIS terrorists from southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and became at distance of 5 km from outskirts of al-Mayadeen city.
SANA reporter said that the army units carried out, during the past few hours, intensive operations against the hideouts and gatherings of ISIS terrorists on Deir Ezzor-al-Mayadeen road and its surroundings, inflicting heavy losses upon them in personnel and weaponry.
He added that the army’s intensive artillery strikes on ISIS positions in al-Mayadeen destroyed a weapon’s warehouse, a communication center and several machineguns-equipped vehicles.

Monday, October 02, 2017

People killed in terrorist attack on Police Department in Damascus- SANA

Damascus, SANA – A terrorist group attacked al-Midan Police Department in Damascus city on Monday, leaving a number of persons dead.
In a statement to reporters while inspecting the attack site, Interior Minister Lt. Gen. Mohammad al-Shaar said two terrorists attacked the guard members at al-Midan Police Department with a number of bombs, causing the death of a number of personnel. After that, one of the terrorists blew himself up with an explosive belt right in front of the main gate of the department.
The Minister added that the other terrorist, also wearing an explosive belt, infiltrated the first floor, where police personnel clashed with him and managed to kill him, causing the explosion of the belt.

Coordinated bombing strikes Syria's Damascus- Al-Jazeera

Terrorist explosion' in al-Midan area kills more than 10 people, including civilians and police, in continued violence.


More than 10 people have been killed in an apparently coordinated bombing in Syria's capital Damascus, according to several sources.
A car bomb went off near a police station in Damascus's al-Midan neighbourhood on Monday, shortly before two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
The 11 dead included police officers and civilians, the SOHR said, adding that the attack also caused injuries.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Syrian state TV blamed two suicide bombers for a "terrorist explosion" in al-Midan area while the pro-Syrian Al Mayadeen TV channel said four fighters carried out the attack, killing more than 10 people.

Saudi King Salman to Visit Russia on Thursday, Kremlin Says- Naharnet

King Salman of Saudi Arabia will visit Russia on Thursday, senior Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying.
"We are awaiting the king's visit on Thursday," Ushakov said Monday, without elaborating.
The visit comes a month before members of the OPEC oil cartel, of which Saudi Arabia is the biggest producer, are due to meet with the other nations that have joined them in cutting crude output, including Russia, to discuss extending the pact that has helped prop up prices.
OPEC and its allies agreed from the beginning of 2017 to cut their production by around 1.8 million barrels per day for six months. It was subsequently extended through March 2018. 

President al-Assad: Syrian Army’s victories paved the way to restarting economic activity and beginning reconstruction- SANA

Damascus, SANA – President Bashar al-Assad on Monday received a Russian delegation including senior economic officials and representatives of major companies from Russia, headed by Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov.
Talks during the meeting touched on the strategic relation between Syria and Russia and the need to bolster it by developing economic and trade cooperation and expanding joint investments, particularly in the fields of petroleum, gas, phosphates, transport, pharmaceuticals, and water resources.
The two sides also stressed the need to speed up the process of rebuilding what terrorism had destroyed in Syria.
President al-Assad said that the achievements realized by the Syrian Arab Army with the support of friendly countries, mainly Russia, and the resulting return of security and stability to many areas in Syria has paved the way to restarting economic activity and beginning the reconstruction process.
His Excellency noted that it’s natural for the countries that supported the Syrian people in their war against terrorism to take part in rebuilding Syria.
For his part, Molodtsov said that participating in rebuilding Syria is one of the priorities of many Russian companies, underlining the need to benefit from the huge opportunities in this field to serve the interests of the countries and their peoples.

IŞİD Saldırılarını Çökerten Ordu Birliklerimiz Zırhlı Araçlarını da İmha Etti- SANA

İLLER – Ordu birliklerimiz muhtelif bölgelerde radikal terör örgütü IŞİD’in askeri mevkilere ve sivil bölgelere kalabalık sayılarla saldırı girişimlerini çökertirlerken, aralarında saha komutanlarının bulunduğu yüksek sayıda teröristle birlikte bombalı araçlarını, ağır makineli silahla donatılmış araçlarını ve zırhlı araçlarını da imha etti.

HOMS:
Homs İlinin doğusunda askeri bir kaynak askeri gözetleme araçlarının Badiye Bölgesinin derinliklerinde Üçüncü İstasyon ekseninden Suhne Kenti yönünde hareket eden IŞİD’li bir araç konvoyunu tespit ettiklerini belirtti.
Kaynak hava güçlerimiz ve topçu birliklerimizin desteği ile IŞİD konvoyuna yapılan operasyonda ağır silahlarla donatılmış en az 7 aracın imha edildiğini, aralarında saha komutanlarının bulunduğu yüksek sayıda teröristin de yok edildiğini aktardı.
IŞİD’in son birkaç gün içinde Suhne Kentini yeniden ele geçirmek için bir dizi büyük saldırıda bulunduğuna dikkat çeken askeri kaynak, tüm bu saldırıların ordu birliklerimiz tarafından başarıyla çökertilerek radikal çetelerin oldukça büyük kayıplara uğratıldıklarını ifade etti.
DEYREZZOR:
Deyrezzor’da ise askeri bir kaynak hava güçlerimizin il kırsalının doğusu Almuhasan ve el Meyadin kentlerinin yanı sıra Aşağı Bukras ve Tayyıbat el Şamiye beldelerinde IŞİD mevkilerine karşı yoğun operasyonlarda bulunduklarını belirtti.
Kaynak hava güçlerimizin aynı zamanda Deyrezzor Kentinin 85 km batısında yer alan Fayda Bin Muying Beldesinde IŞİD mevkilerini muhtevalarıyla imha ettiklerini ifade etti.
Hava operasyonlarında yüksek sayıda teröristin öldürüldüğüne dikkat çeken kaynak, muhtelif tür araçlar, top rampaları, karargah, cephane depoları ve siperlerin yok edildiğini sözlerine ekledi.

Sunday, October 01, 2017

Syrian Army Expands Control Along Borders With Jordan- Muraselon

Military sources said, on Saturday  , that the Syrian troops – backed by allied forces – have managed to drive out the US-backed rebels from 9 new bordering outposts , 177 till 185 , in the far eastern Damascus countryside.
The advance comes as part of a wider push waged by the Syrian government forces to secure the stretching desert land along the borders with Jordan.
The recently-recaptured bordering outposts are located to the south of al-Tanf, where the US-led coalition have set up a garrison to train its proxies in Syria .

3,000 Killed in Syria in September, Deadliest Month of 2017- Naharnet

Syria's war killed at least 3,000 people including 955 civilians in September, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Sunday, in the deadliest month of the conflict this year.
"More than 70 percent of the civilians were killed in regime and Russian air strikes, or in air raids of the international coalition" fighting the Islamic State group, the Britain-based monitor's head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
Backed by Russian air strikes, the forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad are pressing a battle to retake IS-controlled areas in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

Jumblat Stresses Importance of 'Compromise', Wishes Better Days for Syrians- Naharnet

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Sunday stressed the importance of "compromises" in Lebanon as he wished better days for the Syrian people.
At a PSP ceremony in Baakline, Jumblat called on new PSP cadres to “achieve Kamal Jumblat's dreams and our dreams in equality, justice, Arabism, the liberation of the South from Israeli occupation and the establishment of a state-to-state relation with Syria when the circumstances there change.”
Jumblat also wished “freedom, stability, pluralism and dignity” for the Syrian people.

Senior U.S. General Says Army Must be 'Sole Defender of Lebanon'- Naharnet

Deputy Commander of United States Central Command Lieutenant General Charles Brown has stressed that the army should be “the sole defender of Lebanon" during a visit to Lebanon this week, the U.S. Embassy said.
During his visit, Brown met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to "reaffirm the U.S. government’s commitment to the Lebanese-American partnership and support the Lebanese Armed Forces in their capacity as the sole defender of Lebanon," the Embassy said in a statement.

Syria's war has deadliest month this year - monitor group- BBC News

September has been the deadliest month in Syria's civil war so far this year, a monitoring group has said.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said more than 3,300 people had died in September, including 995 civilians.
Of those civilian deaths, it said about 70% were caused by Russian, Syrian government, or coalition air strikes.
The group bases its casualty reports on information provided by a network of activists in Syria.
It counted 207 children among the civilian dead, along with some 790 pro-government fighters, more than 700 from so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda affiliates, and some 550 rebels.
The SOHR says it is a non-political and independent monitoring group, though it does not publish its methodology or verification process.
Many of the deaths have occurred during the fighting between the country's multiple factions and IS. But air strikes in Syria have continued as the jihadist group has lost most of its territory in the country.

Large-scale military operation against ISIS terrorists is continued across Syria- SANA

Provinces,  SANA- The wide-scale military operation against ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ hideouts and gatherings is continued across the Syrian provinces.
In Deir Ezzor, according to a military source, the Syrian Air Force on Sunday carried out intensive airstrikes against positions of ISIS terrorists  in the villages of al-Boulil and al-Muhassan city in the eastern countryside.
The source said that scores of terrorists were killed in the airstrikes and one of their armored vehicles was destroyed, in addition to destroying a number of their machinegun-equipped cars and varied types of machineguns, positions, fortifications and mortar launchers.
SANA reporter said that army units engaged in heavy clashes with ISIS terrorists on the axes of Khsham/Hatla Fouqani and al-Bo Omar in the northeastern and eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
As a result of the clashes, a number of ISIS terrorists were killed or injured, in addition to the destruction of their weapons.
The reporter pointed out that the army’s air force and artillery directed strikes on ISIS sites and movements in the villages of Khsham, al-Jneina, al-Husseiniya and Huweijet Saqr and the neighborhoods of al-Huweiqa, al-Jbeila, al-Sheikh Yassin and Kanamat, destroying command centers, fortifications, sites and 3 vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns.