People take back Maloula city from militants

The local people in the city of Maloula succeeded in taking back their strategic town from the terrorists. A video on Facebook showed the local Shiite people in Maloula church after taking back the city from the militants. Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army regained control of a strategic church in the old section of Homs city. The army units pushed back foreign-backed militants from Marjerjes Church in the old parts of Homs and regained control of the church and its surrounding areas. Meantime, around 100 militants fighting against the Syrian government turned themselves in to authorities in Damascus on Friday. The militants, who were from two areas in the Damascus countryside, also handed over their weapons to the Syrian army yesterday. Officials said those who did not commit crimes will be set free after promising not to carry arms again, or carry out any act to destabilize the security of the country. The Syrian army has been making more gains in its battle in recent months, despite support the militants have been receiving from various countries. On April 13, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the war in the country has shifted strongly in favor of government forces. Assad stated that “there is a turning point in the crisis in Syria in terms of the continuous military achievements...by the army and armed forces in the war against terror, and in...terms of national reconciliation". The Syrian president also said there is a growing popular awareness about the goals behind aggression against Syria. Also Syrian Army, in heavy clashes with rebels in Deir Ezzor province in the neighborhoods of al-Rushdiyeh, al-Jbeileh, al-Orfi and Nazlet al-Rdeisat, inflicted heavy losses upon the militants. A provincial source told the Syrian state television that the Syrian soldiers attacked on the rebels' dens and gatherings in Deir Ezzor Province where so many foreign terrorists were killed, including Haroun al-Shabari from Yemen and Milad al-Oweid from Palestine. Yasser Youssef al-Hammoud, Ahmad Saleh Shehada, Ayman al-Harbi, Ahmad Jawish and Ammar Shlash, who were local leaders of the militants were also killed in the Syrian army's operations. A leader of Al-Nusra Front, Firas al-Hanadeh, was also identified among the dead rebels. Army's operations in al-Mrei’iyeh village, killed and injuring many rebels, including Ahmad Matar and Azo al-Jalwi. Elsewhere, the Syrian Army staged a series of operations against militants' dens and gatherings across outskirts of Damascus, killing and injuring a large number of anti-government fighters in the battlefields. A military source told the Syrian state news agency that the army discovered a factory which was active in the field of preparing explosive devices and bomb cars and also a filed hospital in the farms between Assal al-Ward and al-Jbeh towns in al-Qalamoun area. In Housh Arab town, army soldiers discovered a filed hospital inside a house full of medical devices some of which were from Lebanon. The source pointed out that the Syrian soldiers also destroyed an 85-meter-long tunnel toward Damascus in Jobar neighborhood and killed all terrorists who were there. Also, the Syrian army operations in Aleppo resulted in heavy losses upon the militants as many of their gatherings were targeted, while their attempts to infiltrate other areas were thwarted. Meantime, a military source told the state new agency that a tunnel which was dug and used by rebels as a center for launching their operations in al-Sukkari area, was destroyed by the Syrian soldiers who killed many anti-government fighters in the area. Army units and national defense forces were engaged in fierce clashes with rebel groups in al-Ramouseh area in Aleppo where the militants witnessed heavy losses upon their dens. Army forces also foiled an attempt by armed groups to infiltrate Hanano. Army forces targeted a large convoy of rebel groups in Idleb-Aleppo highway, leaving all of the rebels dead and wounded. Another army unit clashed with militants at the Technical Services Building in al-Lairamoun area, killing scores of them. Numbers of insurgents were killed and others were wounded in various neighborhoods in Aleppo city, including al-Lairamoun, al-Sheikh S’eed, al-Ameriyeh, al-Rashdin, Beidin and al-Sakhour. Meantime, Syrian people commemorated the country's Independence Day as well as the recent victories of Armed Forces against foreign-backed rebel groups through participating in several gatherings, meetings, celebrations and rallies nationwide. Independence Day, also called Evacuation Day, is a national day commemorating the evacuation of the last French soldier and the end of the French mandate of Syria on April 17, 1946, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. The Syrians’ emotions of pride and glory are at their best as this year’s celebrations of Independence Day coincide with sweeping victories gained by the Syrian Army as it is relentlessly crushing militant groups all around the country.