Syrian governmental troops resume advance in Aleppo

Syrian governmental troops launched raids on areas in Ophania town of Qantira’s northern countryside, with no information about humanitarian losses. Meanwhile, ISIS extremists launched over nine missiles against the towns of Masoudia and Job Al Jerah of Homos’ eastern countryside controlled by the Syrian governmental troops. The attacks led to material damages with no information about humanitarian losses.

The Syrian governmental troops resumed their clashes with ISIS militants in Aleppo’s Al Bab city, as the Russian artillery supported the Syrian troops. The governmental troops managed to achieve notable advance in a number of villages of Al Bab’s southern countryside, including Om Al Atlal, Om Al Omad, and Berlin.

The governmental troops, loyal to the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al Assad, works to achieve more advance in the city’s areas at the expense of the extremist group. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that the Syrian troops exert their efforts to restore control on the largest areas of Aleppo to besiege the extremist militias.

It added that the Syrian governmental troops work to resume their bombardment against the areas controlled by the extremist group in the framework of their efforts to control Khafsa Water Station to pave the way for pumping the water to Aleppo which is considered the second largest city in Syria.

The city suffers from water cuts for seven weeks, leading the residents to buy the water and to turn to the wells to protect themselves from thirst, while the traders turned to use the current critical conditions to achieve financial gains, through increasing the cost of waters in their shops.

According to the observatory, the water cuts raised a state of resentment among the residents who accused the government of negligence. However, the local officials of the city blamed the electricity shortage for the water cuts, saying that the water stations depend on electricity to treat the water. The residents refused such pretexts to cover their consecutive failures on both military and social levels.

On the other hand, the governmental troops resumed their advance at Palmyra, as they inspected the streets and buildings in which a large number of mines have been planted by the extremist group. According to sources the Syrian governmental troops have not controlled the whole city, which it lost in December. However, the sources added, the extremist militants withdrew from large swaths of the city

Several reliable sources reported to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) that Manbij Military Council managed after carrying out a counter attack within the last hours of yesterday night on the villages of Tal Turin and Qara and other sites in the area; of which the forces of "Euphrates Shield" operation advanced and controlled in the southwestern countryside of Manbij.

 The clashes were accompanied by exchange of shelling between both parties, and targets that left casualties, where SOHR documented the death of 6 fighters at least of the factions of "Euphrates Shield" operating, and several bodies of them are with the forces of the Council, as well as a fighter of Manbij Military Council, all of them were killed in the past 24 hours in the southwestern countryside of Manbij city in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, also the fighters of the Council were able to take over a tank belong to the factions of the “Euphrates Shield” during the clashes in the same areas.

These clashes came in the framework of the constant pursuit by the "Euphrates Shield" to expand their controlled areas in the countryside of Aleppo; days after controlling al-Bab city and the towns of Qabasin and Bzaah and other villages around them after a military operation that lasted for several weeks, also the "Euphrates Shield" operation aims to reach the Arima, In addition to trying to separate the areas controlled by Manbij Military Council and regime forces’ controlled areas.

Violent clashes are taking place since shortly after midnight yesterday in areas on the road of Homs’ al-Salamiyah and in the area around the villages of Ein al-Dananir and Oyoun Hussein, between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic factions, after an attack carried out by the last mentioned on the area, amid advancement of the factions and their control of al-Qatari checkpoint in the area, and information about restoring it by the regime forces this morning. 

Meanwhile, the continued clashes and the exchange of targeting have caused casualties and injuries in the ranks the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, as well as the factions, while the regime forces shelled this morning areas in Ezeddin village in the northern countryside, they also shelled yesterday night places in the Houla area ​​in the northern countryside of Homs.

In Rif Dimashq Province, warplanes have carried out two raids on the areas in the city of Douma, and another four raids on areas in Arbin, eastern Ghouta, leaving many inured, while warplanes bombed areas in eastern city of Harasta, in eastern Ghouta, information about injures reported. While several mortar shells fired by the Islamic factions on areas in Dahety al-Assad near the city of Harasta, in the eastern Ghouta, but there was no information about injuries reprted.

In Hama, the clashes took place between regime forces and ISIS organization, in the eastern countryside Salemia city, amid the advancement of regime forces. Informed information confirmed its control over several points in the region, while helicopters shelled with explosive barrels areas in the town of Kafr Zita, in northern Hama, and no information about casualties reported.