Uprooted Palestinian: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM – سلام القدس عليكم: Syrian War Report – August 28, 2017: ISIS Suffers Large Casualties In Clashes With Army In Southern Raqqah

Tuesday, 29 August 2017

Syrian War Report – August 28, 2017: ISIS Suffers Large Casualties In Clashes With Army In Southern Raqqah

ISIS Suffers Large Casualties In Clashes With Army In Southern Raqqah

Syrian government forces, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, reportedly eliminated the most battle-tested and well-armed unit of ISIS in the Euphrates River valley last weekend.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over 800 ISIS members, 13 battle tanks, 39 pickup trucks armed with large-caliber machine guns and 9 mortars and artillery guns were destroyed during the clashes near Ghanem al-Ali village. The ministry added that government forces are now advancing against ISIS along the Euphrates River.

The Syrian Arab Army and its allies took back Sabkha and Ghanem al-Ali villages and continued developing momentum in order to retake the rest of the areas near Maadan seized by ISIS during its large attack last week, according to pro-government sources.

The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out over 100 airstrikes on ISIS positions in the southern Raqqah countryside over the weekend and claimed that about 50 SAA servicemen were killed in a SVBIED attack.

Reports have been circulating that at least 60 SAA service members have been killed and about 300 others have been missing since the start of the ISIS counter-attack in southern Raqqah.

In central Syria, the SAA and its allies recaptured from ISIS the entire area north of Palmyra liberating about 2,000 km2 from the terrorist group.

The SAA also seized the Syriatel hill 30km east of al-Sukhnah town on the al-Sukhnah-Deir Ezzor highway deplyoing in less than 75 km away from Deir Ezzor city besieged by ISIS.

Meanwhile, clashes continued in the Uqayribat area where another group of ISIS units had been encircled by the SAA.

The SAA, Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces got a full control over the Qalamoun area at the Syrian-Lebanese border after ISIS had agreed to withdraw from it under a ceasefire deal. About 350 ISIS fighters and their families were set to be evacuated to Deir Ezzor.

On Sunday, the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units liberated the entire city of Tal Afar from ISIS in northern Iraq. Government forces also advanced in the Tal Afar countryside liberating the villages of Al-Alwliah, Kuitlah, Kaser, al-Haruniah, al-Fough, Qabaq and Alwa’ailiah as well as the Al-Kisk camp, the Tal Afar gas station and other nearby areas.

The Joint Operations Command released a statement on Sunday claiming that government forces killed over 200 ISIS members as well as defused 105 IEDs and 15 booby-trapped houses.

Meanwhile, Iraqi warplanes reportedly destroyed about 60 ISIS vehicles withdrawing from Tal Afar in the direction of al-Ayadiah.

The army and the PMU will likely secure the entire Tal Afar pocket will likely be secured in the near future.

All army forces in central Syria now thrown into Deir Ezzor battle

By Andrew Illingworth

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28/08/2017

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:05 A.M.) – Having fully clearing all of the eastern Homs pocket from ISIS militants, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied paramilitary forces are now shifting their entire focus towards the strategic city of Deir Ezzor.

The liquidation of the Islamic State’s bastion in eastern Homs Governorate has released many thousands of army troops, virtually all of them from first-rate formations including armored divisions and Republican Guard units.

These troops had originally been occupied with maintaining positions along the Ithriyah to Resafa highway and, until recently, also involved in holding the siege on ISIS forces entrapped in eastern Homs.

Furthermore, many paramilitary forces – namely units of the National Defence Forces whose troops originate from Homs – are now also free to partake in the advance on Deir Ezzor in support of the SAA.

Pro-government forces stationed in the city of Deir Ezzor have been besieged by ISIS for about three years now. Here about 120,000 civilians, crammed into the northern districts of the city, live under the protection of government-led forces.

Click here to see an interactive map of Syria and Iraq.

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SYRIAN ARMY FURTHER ADVANCES IN EASTERN HAMA, TAKES CONTROL OF JUB ABYAD (MAPS)

Click to see the full-size map

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Qalamoun Shield Forces have further advanced against ISIS terrorists int the eastern Hama area following the previous gains northeast of Uqayribat.

Government forces have reseized Jub Abyad from ISIS and now are developing momentum in the area of Groh.

Meanwhile, the SAA and the NDF are consolidating their gains over the poitns of Kherbet Bil’as, Mushrifat Huwaysis, Kherbet and Kherbet Tawil Bil’as northeast of Uqayribat.