Al-Nusra Out of Syria's Ancient Sadad Town

Via : OrthoChristian.Com

Syrian Army regained control of the ancient town of Sadad after days of intensive fighting with militants from al-Nusra terrorist group.

Around two thousand militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front stormed and occupied the ancient town of Sadad, 60 kilometers (37 mi) South of Homs, nearly a month ago and sieged its fifteen thousand residents to use them as human shields against the Syrian army, Al-Alam reported.

The militant groups who were driven out of Sadad were from the same groups that raided Syria's ancient Christian town of Maalula in Northeast of Damascus a couple of months ago.

Terrorists had taken Sadad to turn it into their stronghold for the al-Qalamoun war which both sides are getting ready for, an army member said.

Clashes between the army and militants in some Western and Northern parts of the town are still going on.

Sadad is a very old town and probably the one mentioned in the Old Testament under the name Zedad, translated as Sedada.

It is located on the edge of the desert and the community has remained predominantly Syriac Orthodox. Aramaic is still spoken there.

Source : FARS News Agency

Syrian army continues mop-up operations

Source : Strategic-Culture

The Syrian army continues its mop-up operations against the foreign- sponsored militants across the country.

On Saturday, a military source said that the government troops stormed the militants’ hideouts and killed scores of them in the countryside of the western province of Lattakia.

The troops also destroyed several vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunition in al-Qantara village, the source added.

The Syrian army units carried out similar operations against the militants in north-west of Yabroud in Damascus countryside.

The government troops also confiscated weapons belonging to foreign- backed Takfiri militants in the southern province of Daraa.

The Syrian troops also inflicted losses on the militants in the western province of Homs.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence.

The UN also says more than four million other Syrians will be forced out of their homes in 2014 by the escalating conflict in the country.

Two million Syrians are expected to take refuge outside the country while another 2.25 million are predicted to be internally displaced during the next year.

Moreover, a recent report commissioned by UN agencies says the devastating conflict in Syria has left over half of the country's population in poverty.

The report put the unemployment rate at 48.6 percent, saying 49 percent of Syria’s children were out of school as education "is in the midst of a silent disaster."

It also warned that the health sector faces a "significant collapse."

Huge explosion rocks arms depot of Syrian army in Homs, killing 3

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

DAMASCUS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 81 others wounded when a huge explosion shook one of the arms depots of the Syrian army in the central city of Homs on Thursday afternoon, pro- government Sham FM radio reported.

Several rockets slammed a number of areas in the southern districts of Wadi al-Dahab and al-Zahra in Homs city and caused a huge explosion in one of the arms depots of the Syrian army, the report said.

The attack was carried out by rebel groups and left huge material losses, it added.

Meanwhile, pro-government al-Ekhbaria TV cited a military source as denying media reports that the attack killed 40 people.

Activists' networks said the blast occurred at one of the Syrian troops' arms depots in the Wadi al-Dahab district in Homs city.

Moreover, other activists' websites posted video footage on the internet that shows a huge fireball spiraling into the sky with heavy black smoke surrounding it.

The attack comes as the Syrian administration is celebrating the army's 68th anniversary.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday stressed his confidence in winning the conflict with the rebels that have engulfed Syria for over 28 months.

Rebels clash with Qaeda-linked opposition group in Syria

Source : LBCI

Rebels clashed with an opposition unit linked to al Qaeda in northern Syria, activists said on Saturday, in a deadly battle that signals growing divisions among rebel groups and rising tensions between locals and more radical Islamist factions.

The rebel infighting comes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have made gains on the battlefield and drawn comfort from the downfall this week of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which under ousted President Mohamed Morsi had thrown its weight behind the Syrian opposition.

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), the new al Qaeda franchise announced by the head of global network's Iraq leader, has been quickly working to cement power in rebel- held territories of northern Syria in recent months.

ISIS units have begun to impose stricter interpretations of Islamic law and have filmed themselves executing members of rival rebel groups whom they accuse of corruption, and beheading those they say are loyal to Assad.

This as an activist and Syrian state media said that regime troops are advancing in parts of the rebel-held city of Homs.

In this regard, Homs-based activist Tarik Badrakhan said that Syrian troops seized control of buildings in the rebel-held district of Khaldiyeh; the first time government forces entered Homs neighborhoods held by rebels for over a year.

Badrakhan added that troops began the move Friday night and mentioned that they continued to pound the area with mortar shells and missiles until Saturday.

On another note, the Syrian opposition voted to elect a new leader, but the top two candidates failed to gain a simple majority needed to become president of the coalition fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

A runoff ballot was scheduled for later on Saturday after Ahmad Jarba, a tribal figure linked with Saudi Arabia, and Mustafa al-Sabbagh, a businessman who is Qatar's point man, did not gain more than half of the votes in the 115 member Syrian National Coalition in an early morning ballot in Istanbul.

The coalition is split into three power centers: the Muslim Brotherhood, the Sabbagh faction, and a Saudi-backed bloc that includes Jarba.

The three factions held the vote for a new leader after failing to agree on a compromise candidate.

The coalition has been without a leader for months after its head quit over disagreement over potential talks with Assad's government.

Syria's two-year revolt against four decades of Assad family rule has degenerated from a peaceful protest movement into a bloody civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people

Syrian Army Smashes Militants in Homs Outskirts

Source : Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian troops continued mop-up operations in Palmyra and several neighborhoods of Homs and inflicted heavy losses upon militants.

The Syrian army tightened control over a number of buildings in Bab Houd neighborhood in Homs old city, after killing and wounding a large number of antigovernment fighters in the battle fields, a military source told the Syrian Arab News Agency.

The army units raided rebels' dens and gatherings near al-Amal hospital in Jourat al-Shyah, al-Qosour and al- Khalidyeh neighborhoods, killing and wounding all militants there, the source added.

Other units of the Syrian army targeted rebels' heavy machineguns on Talbisa-al-Sa'ein road in the Northern countryside of Homs, inflicting heavy losses upon them.

The Syrian soldiers killed a number of militants near al-Ghajar village in al-Rastan countryside. Tamim Obaid, the leader of an armed group, and Ahmad Satuf Kdad were among the killed insurgents.

In Palmyra countryside, the Syrian soldiers clashed with members of AL-Islam Brigade in al-Tayba village, killing so many of them, while another army unit repelled rebels' attempt to attack military checkpoints in al-Zyraa, al- Mouthaf and al-Braikat, inflicting heavy losses upon them.

Meanwhile, other army units traced armed groups in al-Mashajer al-Janobi, Taldo, al-Zafarana and Talbisa in Homs countryside, killing and wounding scores of fighters.

Syria army makes progress in Homs

Source : Strategic-Culture.org

The Syrian army is making progress in its operation to retake control of the western city of Homs.

Syrian forces on Saturday advanced into some areas of the city including Qusour, Jouret al-Shayah and Khaldiyeh, as well as some parts of Old Homs.

The army has eliminated a large number of terrorists and dismantled explosive devices in the operation.

Meanwhile, Syrian troops are also fighting foreign-backed Takfiri militants on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

Reports say two mortar shells fired by the militants have hit two schools in Mazra’a and Amara areas in the capital, causing material damage.

The militants claim they have captured a military checkpoint in the southern city of Dara’a.

The Syrian army has conducted successful operations against the terrorists in recent weeks.

Foreign-sponsored militancy has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has claimed that the army’s warplanes targeted militant positions in Homs on Saturday.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former US national security adviser, has said that the ongoing crisis in Syria, which erupted in March 2011, has been orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and their Western allies.

“In late 2011 there are outbreaks in Syria produced by a drought and abetted by two well-known autocracies in the Middle East: Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” Brzezinski said in an interview with the National Interest on June 24.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said on June 25 that Riyadh believes the al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria should be armed, but weapons shipments to the Syrian government should be stopped.

Speaking at a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was doing everything it can to help the militants in Syria.

Syrian Troops Smash Rebels in Homs Outskirts

Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army targeted militants' dens and gatherings in Homs countryside, killing and wounding a number of antigovernment fighters.

The Syrian soldiers killed and wounded a number of militants in the farms between the archeological Bel temple, Dedeman hotel, Taldo, Tal Dahab and Kesin toward al-Houla in Homs countryside, an official source said.

Another army unit attacked insurgents' dens in al-Karabis and al-Khalidieh neighborhoods in Homs city and in al-Rastan, Talbisa, al-Ameriya and al- Ghajar areas, the source added.

Several anti-tank missiles and explosives were seized by the Syrian soldiers in Homs countryside, the source said.

Scores of antigovernment fighters were killed and wounded in al-Tawil and al-Taiba villages in Palmyra countryside, a local source said.

The source added that an army unit seized rebels' weapons and ammunition in al-Dab'a farms in military operations al-Qusseir countryside.

Syria was hit by a violent unrest since mid-March 2011. The Syrian government accuses foreign actors of orchestrating the conflict, by supporting the militant opposition groups with arms and money.

Homs car bomb kills 8 in Alawite area

Source : Shanghai Daily

A CAR bomb exploded yesterday in a Syrian neighborhood largely populated by the Shiite offshoot sect that dominates the regime, killing eight people including three women and a teenager, according to a state-owned TV station.

Outside the central city of Homs where the blast took place, government troops pressed an offensive against rebels in nearby villages.

The state-owned Al-Ikhbariya TV said the booby-trapped car exploded in a populated area near a roundabout in Adawiya, a mostly Alawite district. The station's reporter on the scene said 10 people were wounded by the explosion, which also heavily damaged houses in the area.

Al-Ikhbariya's footage shows frantic residents running around, blood splattered on the ground, and a badly mangled car. Other cars were also damaged. The reporter said the car was carrying about 100 kilograms of explosives.

The station had earlier said the blast was caused by a suicide bomb.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on informants inside Syria, said the car was booby-trapped. It said seven were killed.

The rare explosion in a neighborhood populated by Alawites, the sect to which President Bashar Assad belongs, comes as the conflict takes increasingly sectarian overtones.

The rebels are largely from Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, joined by Sunni fighters from other countries.

The government's offensive in south of the city, in contrast, has been backed by fighters from Lebanon's Shiite militant Hezbollah group.

The government on Wednesday recaptured the town of Qusair. Syrian state TV said yesterday government troops now had control of Buwaydah village between Qusair and Homs city.

Syrian Army extends its domination over Homs

Source : http://old.mehrnews.com

TEHRAN, Jun. 2 (MNA) – Sources report that Syrian Army has the control of al-Qusayr’s Dhabi airport and extended its domination over Homs.

The Syrian Army has taken complete control o the al-Qusayr’s Dhabi airfield in the city o Homs, despite all sporadic attacks by armed terrorists, Al-Alam TV reported.

Al-Alam correspondent reported from the airport, in an interview with military forces stationed in the area, emphasizing that the armed terrorists could not have made any advance, even as much as an inch, in this area

In the Northern part of Homs, Syrian army crossed the armed groups’ supply lines to the remaining of armed groups in Homs.

According to the report, the attacks killed dozens of terrorists and their weapons confiscated. The armed terrorists have committed other crimes in the area against the citizens in the village, situated between a Dhabi and city of al Sanayeh.

Armed Rebels Massacre Entire Population of Christian Village in Syria

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Armed rebels attacked a village in Syria's Western province of Homs and slaughtered all its Christian residents on Monday.

The armed rebels affiliated to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) raided the Christian- populated al-Duvair village in Reef (outskirts of) Homs near the border with Lebanon today and massacred all its civilian residents, including women and children.

The Syrian army, however, intervened and killed tens of terrorists during heavy clashes which are still going on in al-Duvair village.

The armed rebels' attack and crimes in al-Duvair village came after they sustaine heavy defeats in al-Qusseir city which has almost been set free by the Syrian arm except for a few districts.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

In October 2011, calm was almost restored in the Arab state after President Assa started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies sought hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots to topple President Bashar al-Assad, who is well known in the world for his anti-Israeli stances.

Syrian Army controls hamidieh and move toward airport in al-Qusair countryside

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

Syrian Army units have tightened control over large parts of the central and northern neighborhoods of al-Qusair city in Homs, while seized control on the town of al-hamidieh in al-Qusair countryside following heavy clashes took place with the “Free Army” militia.

Breaking News Network correspondent mentioned that the army units controlled the building of Consumer Foundation, slaughterhouse, Division of the party building and the Directorate of the region in the eastern part of the northern neighborhood, while last headquarters of the militia and gatherings in the neighborhood located south of the cemetery in the middle neighborhood of the city have been destroyed, as dismantling a number of IEDs and destroying tunnels used by the militants to move and store weapons and ammunition in the southern neighborhood.

Breaking News Network reporter said that units of the Syrian Arab Army destroyed a number of armed groups in the villages of al-haidariya, Arjun and al-Dabaa in rural of al-Qusair, including weapons and ammunition, amid rapid progress of units towards al-Daba military airport in the village of al-Daba in al-Qusair countryside.

In another context, Syrian Arab Television team has undergone gunfire by gunmen near the village of al-Dabaa in al-Qusair countryside, injuring the fellow photographer Asem al-Sha’ar and he is in fine condition.

Syrian Army Advances in Al-Qusayr, Kill Large Number of Militants

Source : http://www.almanar.com.lb

The Syrian Army advanced in Al-Qusayr on Sunday, killing and wounding a large number of militants, while the others escaped, Al- Manar correspondent reported, adding that the Syrian Army took control over most of the area, reaching the municipal building in the center of the city.

The Syrian Army’s operations in Al-Qusayr city in Homs started after it waged air raids and shells at militants’ bases in the area late Saturday.

In this context, sources had stated earlier this week that the Syrian Air Forces had dropped leaflets over the city, demanding civilians to evacuate the area and militants to drop their arms and surrender, indicating that a large number did actually surrender while others escaped into deeper areas in Homs.

On another hand, Al-Mayadeen reported that the Syrian Army had taken control over Barza in Damascus, and succeeded in killing militia field leaders “Abu Sufian” and “Abu Musab”.

In parallel, Syrian news agency SANA reported that the Army had confiscated an Israeli manufactured missile, and large numbers of machine guns and ammunitions in the hands of an armed group that was terrorizing and cutting the road of Homs-Tadmor.

Syrian PM Al-Halqi: Scores of Gunmen Hand Over their Weapons Daily

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

Prime Minister, Dr. Wael al-Halqi said Syria has been facing a multi-dimensional war for two years that seeks to fragment its national unity and social fabric, and to sideline its pivotal role in support of Arab resistance.

Meeting the international delegation for peace currently visiting Syria on Thursday, headed by Mairead Maguire, Dr. al-Halqi reviewed the aspects of the conspiracy targeting Syria, indicating that it is aimed to destroy the capabilities of the Syrian Arab army and national economy to ruin the Syrian state and distance Syria from the confrontation with the Israeli enemy.

He indicated that the armed terrorist groups, backed by funds and weapons from Arab and regional countries, are working methodically to vandalize the infrastructure of national economy and target the agricultural, industrial, service and development sectors.

Al-Halqi added that the ”government, despite the embargo and unjust sanctions that target the Syrian people’s livelihood , is exerting efforts to enhance the national economy and provide the citizens’ basic needs, and rehabilitate the infrastructure destroyed by the armed terrorist groups.”

He indicated that the government is determined to go ahead with the meetings with the political parties and forces and the economic and social representatives to crystallize a comprehensive vision to set in motion the comprehensive national dialogue.

Al-Halqi added that the Syrian government is bent on the national reconciliation project and is open to all initiatives for finding a political solution to the crisis that ensures Syria’s sovereignty, independence and unity and rejects foreign interference.

He pointed to the disinformation campaign against Syria to assist the armed terrorist groups, hailing the role of free media in conveying the reality of events on the ground with credibility and faithfulness.

Al-Halqi said the Syrian Arab army will remain in full preparedness to repel any Israeli aggression, and will continue to strike terrorists wherever they are on the Syrian soil.

Maguire voiced appreciation for the Syrian government’s call for national dialogue, adding that Syria has always called for peace in the region and the world.

She lauded the Syrian government’s transparency in handling the crisis, which will prove convincing to peace- mongers around the world.

The international delegation for peace, headed by the Nobel peace prize-laureate Mairead Maguire, comprises up to 16 activists and journalists from Australia, the US, Canada, Brazil and Lebanon, and members of the Syrian Popular Committee for National Reconciliation.

Al-Halqi: Teachers have Responsibility for Educating Future Generations

The ministerial committee tasked with implementing the political program for solving the crisis met on Thursday with members of the Teachers’ Syndicate executive bureau, headed by its Chairman Ziad Mohsen.

Dr. al-Haqi, chairman of the Committee, said he was happy to meet the builders of generations who have a great responsibility in inculcating the future generations with the scientific, cultural and ethical education, not to mention discarding violence preserving public and private property.

Dr. al-Halqi said the government is open to all political and social forces inside Syria and abroad that believe in national solution, indicating that positive results have emerged from the committee’s previous meetings with political forces and parties.

He said that scores of gunmen are handing over their weapons every day and want to return to lead normal lives and defend their homeland.

For his part, Mohsen expressed the teachers’ support for the political program launched by President Bashar al-Assad, pointing to the teachers’ satisfaction with the incumbent government that has been close to the pulse of citizens and their needs.

The members laid down their visions for solving the crisis in Syria, mainly through preserving Syria’s territorial integrity, liberating the occupied lands, commitment to national unity and discarding sectarianism, and placing the interests of the homeland above all else.

Assad says Hezbollah 'a model for Syria'

Source : Maan News Agency

BEIRUT (AFP) -- Syria will "give Hezbollah everything" in recognition of its support and will follow the militant group's model of "resistance" against Israel, a Lebanese newspaper on Thursday quoted President Bashar Assad as saying.

His comments, published by Al-Akhbar, reportedly came during meetings with Lebanese visitors in Damascus and appeared intended to refute any suggestion that Israeli raids on Syrian targets would halt assistance to the Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The newspaper said visitors quoted Assad as expressing "confidence, satisfaction and great gratitude towards Hezbollah."

The organization is a long-time ally of the Syrian regime and has sent fighters to battle alongside Assad's troops, particularly in the Qusayr district of the central province of Homs.

Damascus has long served as a supply conduit for Iran-backed Hezbollah, and Assad said they would reward the group for their loyalty.

"We have decided to give them everything," the newspaper quoted him as saying, without elaborating.

"For the first time we feel that we and they are living in the same situation and they are not just an ally we help with resistance," he said.

"We have decided that we must move forward towards them and turn into a nation of resistance like Hezbollah, for the sake of Syria and future generations."

Assad was quoted as saying Syria could "easily" respond to Israeli air strikes by "firing a few rockets at Israel."

"But we want strategic revenge, by opening the door of resistance and turning all of Syria into a country of resistance."

"After the strike, we are convinced that we are fighting the enemy now, we are pursuing its soldiers deployed throughout our country," he said, in apparent reference to rebel forces, which the regime has accused of being allied with Israel.

Israel reportedly carried out two raids last week against military targets inside Syria, killing dozens of military personnel.

Israeli sources said the strikes targeted weapons bound for Hezbollah.

Israel has warned repeatedly that it will not allow Syria to transfer advanced weaponry to the Lebanese group, with which it fought a devastating war in 2006.

Israeli warplanes hit targets inside Syria early on Friday and Sunday mornings, raising new fears that the Syrian conflict, which is now in its third year, could draw in the rest of the region.

UN establishes office in Syria's Homs city

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations established on Wednesday an office in Syria's central city of Homs, the first of its kind outside the capital Damascus with the aim of securing the flow of humanitarian help across Syria, the UN media and communication analyst told Xinhua Wednesday.

In a phone call with Xinhua, Khaled al-Masri said the fresh step was carried out in coordination with the Syrian government and other international NGOs.

He said the step also mirrored the UN's commitment to staying in Syria and to delivering humanitarian aids to all those in need across the country.

The office in Homs is the first one to be established outside Damascus, al- Masri said, adding that other headquarters would be set up in other provinces within the next few months.

He said the office was inaugurated Wednesday by a delegation of the UN that also met with the governor of Homs, Munir al-Ahmad, and discussed best ways to deliver relief aid to affected people.

The office inauguration came also at a time the Syrian troops have advanced in the central town of al-Qussair near Homs on Wednesday and "fully" restored security to its southern outskirts and two towns at its northern rim, according to the state-run SANA news agency.

Syria troops battle militants in Homs

Via : Strategic-Culture.org

The Syrian troops have carried out a series of mop-up operations in the western city of Homs, forcing foreign-backed militants out of the city’s flashpoint areas.

The Syrian armed forces destroyed a terrorist hideout and a workshop for manufacturing explosives in Jouret al-Shiyah neighborhood on Monday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

The Syrian forces also inflicted heavy losses on foreign-backed armed groups in al-Qusour, al-Khalidiye, al-Dar al-Kabireh, Tal Dahab, Teldo and Kafr Laha in Homs countryside.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between the Syrian troops and militants in the district of Qudssaya, near the Syrian capital, Damascus. The Syrian army killed a number of militants many of whom were foreign nationals, SANA stated.

Terrorist hideouts were also raided by Syrian forces in the towns of Jobar, al- Shifoniyeh, al-Rihan, Harmala, Harasta and Barzeh al-Balad.

In addition, Syrian troops stormed a terrorist hideout in the town of Zamalka, about four kilometers (2.5 miles) east of Damascus. A large amount of weapons and munitions was destroyed after the fierce gun battle.

Similar operations were carried out by the Syrian army in the towns of Daraya, al-Hejjeira and al-Dhiyabiyeh.

The Syrian army has fully purged the town of Kimam in the strategic region of al-Qusayr near the border with Lebanon.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government security forces and army personnel, have been killed in the violence.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Witnesses report onset of chemical warfare in Syria

Source : DEBKAfile

Extensive preparations by Syrian army units for launching chemical weapons against rebel forces have been sighted in the northern town of Homs, Western intelligence agencies told debkafile’s military sources Tuesday, March 19.

Damascus paved the way for resorting to unconventional weaponry with an accusation run by the state news agency SANA Tuesday that Syrian rebels had fired a rocket containing chemical substances in the Khan al-Assad area of rural Aleppo, allegedly killing 15 people, mostly civilians.

Rebels quickly denied the report and accused regime forces of “firing a chemical weapon on a long-range SCUD, after which 20 people died of asphyxia and poisoning.”

Neither of the accusations could immediately verified.

But a Reuters photographer said he had seen people come into two Aleppo hospitals with breathing problems after the attack. They claimed people were suffocating on the streets.

Western intelligence sources reckoned that for the Assad regime, Homs, the scene of fierce battles between government and rebel forces in recent days, is likely to be the first place where the Assad government resorts to chemical warfare. A rebel victory there would be a grave setback for the regime because it would sever the main highway linking the Syrian military forces fighting in the towns of Damascus, Latakia, Aleppo and Idlib.

Monday and Tuesday, therefore, heavy government reinforcements from the South and Damascus were piled onto the embattled town, along with large numbers of warplanes and attack helicopters, in an all-out effort to cut short the rebel advance.

debkafile’s military sources report that the importance Assad attaches to carrying the day in Homs is represented by the elite units he has assembled in and around the city: Heavy armored forces of the 4th and 5th Republican Guard Divisions were imported from Damascus and the 18th and 19th Divisions are there too, issued in the last few hours with chemical warfare gear.

Syrian ruler Bashar Assad can on no account afford to be defeated in the key town of Homs just when US President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East Wednesday. He will therefore use whatever it takes to prevent this happening, even chemical weapons if they are the only answer.

The allegation that the rebels have resorted to chemical warfare strongly points to an Assad ploy to go there himself and maintain it was only after the opposition went first. The emergence of dread unconventional weapons on the Syrian battlefield during the US president’s stay in the region is bound to dominate his talks with its leaders. It may even have the effect of altering his schedule and affect his itinerary.

Army continues fighting terrorists everyplace

Source : syriatimes

PROVINCES,(ST)_Armed forces press ahead on fighting foreign-backed terrorists groups in several provinces to restore stability and security across Syria.

Today (Monday), the armed forces destroyed many terrorists' hideouts and weapons in different locations in countryside of Damascus, Homs, Idleb, and Der Ezzour.

A lot of terrorists, who were inside the hideouts, were killed, SANA reported.

Moreover, fierce clashes broken out between armed forces and terrorists in Khan al-Asal area ( in Aleppo province), Bab Amre and Bab-Hod areas (in Homs), JoretHawaa (in Hama)and Daraa countryside.

The Syrian Arab Army's heroes killed and injured a lot of terrorists during the clashes.

Furthermore, a 40-meter tunnel was discovered by the armed forces in Bab Hod alley (in Homs).

The tunnel was used by terrorists to smuggle weapons to kill Syrian citizens and army forces.

In the same alley, engineering units dismantled several explosive devices planted by the terrorists in homes. Daraa telephone center burnt

Yesterday, terrorist groups attackedthe five-floor telephone center in Daraa al-Balad (in Daraa province) and burnt it causing a serious material damaged estimated SP 900 million.

"The attack caused cut of telecommunications and internet in the area as all equipment and towers were completely destroyed," SANA said, adding that rehabilitation of the center will take few months.

On the other hand, the terrorist groups also looted equipment of the United Nation Emergency forces (UNEFIL) in Daraa Province.

The terrorist groups, who perpetrate criminal acts against citizens all over Syria and destroy infrastructure, are being supported by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, Britain, and the US.

Army Kills Tens of Terrorists across Syria

Source : Fars News Agency

Army Kills Tens of Terrorists across Syria TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army continued its advances and killed tens of terrorists across the country over the past 24 hours.

The army killed tens of armed rebels and injured dozens more in heavy clashes in Reef (outskirts of) Damascus, al-Reqqa, Deir al-Zour, Homs and Idlib.

In Reef Damascus, the Syrian army units destroyed the bastions of armed rebels in Duma and its suburban farms in Kafr Batna, Zulmaka, Arabin and suburban Harasta. The army killed tens of terrorists and injured dozens more and destroyed two vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns.

Notorious terrorist ringleader Mohammad al-Barhamji, Mohammad Qasem, Soleyman al-Tayr, Ahmad Ghanoum, Omar Dalvan and Mohammad Davlibi were among those killed in Reef Damascus.

In Reef Damascus's Jobar town, the Syrian army killed six terrorists and injured ten others. The army also killed a large number of armed rebels in Darya of Reef Damascus.

In al-Reqqa, the army attacked the bastions of terrorists in Reef al-Reqqa killing a number of armed rebels, including notorious terrorists Hadi al-Akal, Ibrahim Oveis and Ra'ad al-Hessan.

The Syrian army also repelled a terrorist attack on al-Reqqa's central prison and killed a large number of armed rebels and injured many others in heavy clashes.

In Deir al-Zour, the Syrian army clashed with terrorists in al-Haviqeh and the city's old airport killing tens of armed rebels, including notorious terrorists Omran Ibrahim al-Savadi, Qassem Hassan al- Abed, Hessan Eifan al-Ghazal, Adnan al-Mahmoud, Abdel Sattar al-Farim and Khaled Eissa al- Mohammad.

The Syrian army also attacked a convoy of terrorists on al-Saour road in Reef Deir al-Zour killing a number of terrorists and destroying their DshK-equipped vehicles.

In Idlib, the Syrian army units attacked a terrorist bastion in Tal Salmo, East of Idlib Airport. The army killed 12 terrorists in heavy clashes in Saraqeb, Abu Zohourm, al-Rami and Jebel al-Zawiya.

The army also killed eight terrorists in Jesr Al-Shughour in Idlib.

The Syrian army also killed tens of terrorists in sporadic clashes in Talbisiya, al-Rostan and al-Qasir town of Reef Homs.

Terrorists have tried hard in the last few months to make Syrian cities unsafe, specially for citizens, but the army has purged them from most neighborhoods and districts, killed hundreds of them and arrested many more.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

Syrian Military Source Rejects Clashes between Terrorists, Lebanese Hezbollah

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

A Syrian military source on Monday rejected some media news reports alleging that there have been armed clashes between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Syrian terrorists in the country’s Central Homs province.

Some media, including the Israeli press, had earlier claimed that there had been armed clashes between the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorists and Lebanon’s Hezbollah Movement.

The Syrian military source denied the false claims that the Lebanese Hezbollah has clashed with FSA terrorists, al-Ahd news website reported.

The source, however, said that the Syrian army killed more than 60 terrorists and injured tens of others in clashes with FSA in the suburbs of al-Qasr region in Homs on Sunday night.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

Turkey along with the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been supporting terrorists and rebel groups in Syria and have practically brought a UN peace initiative into failure to bring President Assad’s government into collapse.