ISIL under full siege as Syrian Army captures strategic highway: map

Saturday, 1 July 2017

ISIL under full siege as Syrian Army captures strategic highway: map

01/07/2017

Syrian Army Storming ISIS Pocket East Of Khanasir

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:55 P.M.) – The Islamic State (ISIL) is in serious trouble in the Khanasser Plain, as they find themselves under a full siege by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

The siege began this weekend when the Syrian Arab Army’s elite Tiger Forces seized the Islamic State’s final points along the Salamiyah-Resafa Highway.

According to a military source, most of the Islamic State’s forces abandoned the Khanasser Plain before the siege; however, some fighters remained to fight the Syrian Arab Army.

With no outlet for retreat, the remaining Islamic State terrorists will likely fight till the death before the Syrian Arab Army captures their last positions in the Khanasser Plain.

Syrian Army scores big advance in Aleppo pocket while ISIS turns to suicide bombings

By Chris Tomson

01/07/2017

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (5:00 P.M.) – With a large enclave of ISIS-held territory cutoff in the Khanassir Plains of southern Aleppo, the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) Tiger Forces and 30th Division of the Republican Guard scored a major advance on Saturday morning.

After probing the besieged pocket throughout the night, SAA troops under the command of Major General Suheil Al-Hassan wrestled control of the Duryham area, strategic Syriatel hill and a dozen villages neighboring villages, many of which were heavily booby-trapped by ISIS in anticipation of the advance. The last ISIS T-72 tank in rural Aleppo was also captured by the Tiger Forces intact on Friday.

According to an Al-Masdar News military source, ISIS commanders have abandoned the region and left behind only wounded fighters and volunteer suicide bombers to inflict as many casualties upon the SAA as possibly and lock down government forces in the region while a new defensive line is prepared in the Islamic State mainland.

Despite encountering many SVBIED’s, the SAA is expected to impose full control over the vunerable Aleppo pocket in the coming days, either driving ISIS insurgents into the Jabbal Lake or leaving them dead on the battlefield.

Once this SAA offensive reaches its conclusion, the Islamic State will no longer hold a single inch of territory in Aleppo province.

Furthermore, the frontline between the warring parties will be reduced by some 100 kilometers while tens of thousands of SAA troops will be freed for duties elsewhere.

Syrian Army liberates 14 villages in southern Aleppo as ISIS pocket implodes

By Andrew Illingworth

01/07/2017

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:35 P.M.) – The Aleppo-based 30th Division of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), comprised of elite Republican Guard formations, has begun the operation to systematically reduce the ISIS pocket in the Khanasser region of southern Aleppo Governonate. The Khanasser pocket was created just over 24 hours ago after the Tiger Forces imposed full control over the section of highway running from Ethriyah to Rusafa.

Already, a string of settlements within the pocket were rapidly liberated by the SAA today; these have been identified as the villages of Atshanah, Khiribeh, Jib Ali, Hayat, Khanisar, Zabd, Durayhm, Aqyal, Sardah, Hawaz, Qaliaa, Al-Tonyeh, Hamidiyah Gharbiyah and Hamidiyah Sharqiyah. In addition to this, the SyriaTel hill in the area of these villages was also captured by the SAA.

With the closure of the Khanasser pocket, it has now become apparent that the bulk of ISIS forces stationed in southern Aleppo did in fact evacuate whilst the opportunity to do so was open for them. Nonetheless, in the wake of its retreat, the terrorist group heavily-sowed settlements in the Khanasser region with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and those ISIS fighters who have remained behind (a number which possibly reaches into the dozens) have been tasked with carrying out suicide bombings. These measures have been implemented by ISIS in order to slow down, as much as possible, the advance of the SAA and to inflict, also as much as possible, losses on SAA ranks – all at minimum cost to the terrorist group.

According to Al-Masdar News journalist Ibrahim Joudeh, it is possible that the liberation of the entire Khanasser pocket could be achieved by the SAA within the next 48 hours. As of the time of this report, there are still some twenty-six (26) settlements in the Khanasser pocket yet to be cleared by the SAA.

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