Kurdish Fighters Torch 2 Oil Tankers Stolen by Al-Qaeda in Reef Yarubiya

Source : Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Kurdish fighters made major advances against the Al-Qaeda terrorists in Reef (countryside of) Yarubiya and set ablaze two oil tankers stolen by the militants.

Kurdish militants from Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People seized and torched two crude oil tankers that the Al-Nusra Front terrorists had stolen from Al-Fazel Fuel Station in Reef Yarubiya.

Meantime, the Syrian Kurdish fighters also made major advances in Tal Halaf and Mosharefeh towns in Hasaka Province.

The Syrian Kurdish fighters have intensified their attacks against the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in recent weeks.

On Saturday, the Kurdish fighters seized the sole border post held by Al-Qaeda-linked groups on their border with Iraq, Kurdish sources and an Iraqi official said.

Kurdish militants seized the border post on Saturday, after three days of clashes with an Al-Qaeda-linked group which had held the crossing since March, Al-Alam reported.

According to the armed Kurdish group YPG, fighting carried on through the morning.

The Yarubiya post and surrounding areas in the Northeast were taken from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group which is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in Syria. An Iraqi intelligence official confirmed that Kurdish rebels held the crossing point, adding that Baghdad brought reinforcements to the area to prevent any spillover of violence.

"There were heavy battles in which all types of weapons were used," said the Iraqi official on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. "Iraqi forces are ready to repel any attack."

Kurdish groups control a large swath of Northern Syria. Clashes between their fighters and militants have killed hundreds of people in the past months.

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

Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies 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 Army Continues Advances, Kills Tens of Militants in Reef Idlib

Source : Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army continued its mop-up operations in Reef Idlib in Northwestern Syria, and killed tens of armed rebels in heavy clashes.

The army’s units pounded positions of an armed group in the forests of the Southeastern parts of Al-Arbaeen mountainous region in Reef Idlib, killing 26 militants in heavy clashes.

Meantime, the army conducted a series of separate operations in Siritel region in Reef Idlib, killing and injuring tens of terrorists.

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

Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies 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 most parts of the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies brought the country into chaos through every possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May, 2012 that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

According to the report, material was being stockpiled in Damascus, in Idlib near the Turkish border and in Zabadani on the Lebanese border.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.

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 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.

Syrian crisis not real revolution: Assad

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that what is happening in his country is not a "revolution," adding the real revolution would be purely domestic and unrelated with foreign agendas.

Assad's remarks were made during an interview with the state- run al-Thawra newspaper to mark its 50th anniversary.

"Take many examples on that; the French revolution, the Russian revolution and even the Iranian one. Real revolutions are popular ones that have purely internal factors, have a spontaneous aspect and led by ideological and intellectual elites," he said.

"Whereas what has been happening in Syria, since the beginning, has the foreign factor in it, and that was what they have tried to conceal but today become absolutely clear," he added.

The embattled leader, whose country has been gripped by more than two years of deadly conflict, said that the "conspirator countries on Syria have used all they have of material, morale and psychological means against Syria and have nothing left but direct intervention."

While hailing the Syrian people, Assad said that "tolerance is essential in resolving national crises but it must be popular, not official."

He, meanwhile, likened terrorism to cancer, saying that if terrorism wasn't removed, it could spread quickly "so we must root it out, not only hit it."

He charged that what is currently happening is "turning Syria into a land of terrorism," adding that terrorism "grows and multiplies in the fertile soil called chaos, where you see the chaos you see terrorism grows automatically."

He noted that what have drawn in terrorism in Syria wasn't only the chaos, but also the foreign countries backing terrorism in Syria.

Regarding the deteriorating economic situation in Syria, the president said that with a troubled security situation, there can be no good economy "and thus the security problem is affecting us directly, whether we like it or not."