U.S led coalition deploys fighters around Menbej

American forces working in the U.S led coalition deployed fighters and vehicles around Menbej area in areas controlled by the military council of Menbej in the northern eastern countryside of Aleppo, after the latest updates in al-Bab city and the pulling back of the ISIS from a large number of villages, and after the Turkish forces have wider lines directly with the military council of Menbej areas, in addition to the lines between the regime forces and the military council areas 16km From Menbej city.

Meanwhile, clashes continued on the outskirts of Hazrma town between the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them against Islamic factions of Jaysh al-Islam and the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham, amid exchange of shelling between both parties.

The number of deaths in who were killed in the massacre carried out by warplanes following the targeted, early Monday, areas in the city of Jericho, located the southern sector of the countryside of Idlib, rose to 16, including six children.

Shells launched by the factions and landed on places in Zara power plant, located in the extreme southern countryside of Hama, resulting in material damage in some of it, also sporadic clashes took place in Aydoun area in the south of Homs between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic Factions, also the warplanes renewed the targeting for areas in Aqrab village in the southern countryside of Hama.

Violent clashes renewed between Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Waleed which swore allegiance to ISIS against the rebel and Islamic Factions in the areas of al-Hait and Tal Ashtara and the housing of Jellin and Adwan Dam in the western countryside of Daraa, and information about casualties in the ranks of both parties, amid advancement by the factions in Jellin area, while the helicopters dropped more than 12 barrel bombs on areas in Daraa al-Balad in the city of Daraa, no information about injuries.

Meanwhile, the western desert of Palmyra in the eastern countryside of Homs is witnessing continued violent clashes between the regime forces backed by the gunmen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against the ISIS organization, for the 42 continuous day, after a counter attack by the regime forces on the 14th of January 2017. 

The attack started from the vicinity of the T4 airbase, and managed to advance until they reached about 10 km west of Palmyra city at the vicinity of al-Maqasem area, while the regime forces are trying to achieve parallel advancement in the mountains surrounding Palmyra area and also advancement to the triangle of Palmyra near the city.

The violent clashes between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against members of ISIS organization, were accompanied with hundreds of raids carried out by warplanes and helicopters, and hundreds of rocket and artillery strikes, which coincided with explosions using booby trapped vehicles carried out by the organization and targeted positions of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them.

 ISIS also targeted sites of regime forces using missiles, which killed and injured tens of the ranks of both parties, while the regime forces managed to achieve advancement towards Palmyra city and reached a distance of 19 km, since the 13th of February 2016, after the regime forces stayed for days standing still along with the gunmen loyal to them, unable to achieve any advancement towards Palmyra city, where the organization repelled the successive attacks carried out by the regime forces in the vicinity of the western Bayyarat area in the western desert of Palmyra city.

The regime forces that are desperately trying to reach Palmyra city and restore it along with the oilfields in its western desert, have lost all of these areas in a violent attack carried out by ISIS organization on the 8th of December 2016, where they achieved widespread advancement at the expense of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and controlled Palmyra city and other locations around it and in its desert. 

This control came after the arrival of reinforcement of more than 300 fighters and commanders sent by the leadership of ISIS after a meeting between the commander of “Jaysh al-Sham” with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the Minister of War in the organization, where both of them confirmed to the commander of Jaysh al-Sham that the reinforcements would be continuous and successive from now on.