Syrian army troops seized a pocket of territory in the northwest where they had encircled rebels and a Turkish military post on Friday, reclaiming towns they lost early in the war.

Government forces pounded the south of Idlib and nearby Hama with air and ground attacks this week, pressing an offensive that has caused a new exodus. The United Nations says the escalation since late April has killed hundreds of people.

The northwest corner is all that remains in the hands of rebel factions who have suffered a string of crushing blows across Syria in the more than eight-year war.

President Bashar al-Assad has turned to the Idlib region after clawing back control of most of Syria with key help from Russia and Iran. Still, the prospect of more advances is obstructed not only by Turkey’s interests near its border but also US forces alongside Kurdish fighters in the northeast.

The latest army gains have put Turkish troops in Idlib in the firing line and threaten Ankara’s hopes of preventing a new wave of refugees on its border.

The pocket that came under state rule on Friday includes a few towns and their environs which rebels had held since the early years of the conflict.

Rebel officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The army imposed “a choking siege” on insurgents in the Hama countryside on Friday morning, state-run Ikhbariya said.

The capture of six towns and nearby hills expanded state control of a highway running through them, which stretches from the capital Damascus to Aleppo city, it added.

“The north Hama countryside is now fully safe,” the channel’s correspondent said in a live broadcast from the town of Kfar Zita. He said soldiers were searching for landmines.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government force recovered Kafr Zita, which insurgents had controlled since 2012, and some towns nearby.

The fate of a Turkish military post in one of the towns which was also encircled, Morek, remained unclear, the UK-based war monitor and state TV said.

Under its deals with Russia, Turkey has forces stationed at a dozen military posts across Idlib. Ankara backs rebel forces that control swathes of territory further north near its border, and some that have a presence in Idlib.

Moscow and Damascus say they are responding to militant attacks by the former Nusra Front, a jihadist alliance now known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which is the dominant force in Idlib. </s> DAMASCUS - Syrian state TV announced Friday that government forces had entered several villages in northern Hama province in their advance towards Idlib, the last province completely in the hands of opposition forces. Backed by the Russian Air Force, troops answering to President Bashar al-Assad have taken control of the villages of Latamneh, Latmeen, Kfar Zeita and Lahaya.



They have also taken Morek, where Turkish military are stationed at an observation post. Syria state TV reported the news without saying what had happened to the Turkish troops. </s> BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:15 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) recently announced that their forces were in full control of the once militant-held northern Hama pocket.

Among the areas captured by the Syrian Arab Army were the key towns of Kafr Zita and Al-Latamnah; these two towns were previously the strongholds of Jaysh Al-Izza in northern Hama.

As shown in the short video below, the Syrian Army is now inside of Kafr Zita after the remaining militants either surrendered to the military or fled to the Turkish observation post in Morek.

With these areas now clear, the Syrian Army will shift their attention to either the militant stronghold of Ma’arat Al-Nu’man or the Al-Ghaab Plain.

Currently, the Turkish military has established an unofficial observation post between Khan Sheikhoun and Ma’arat Al-Nu’man; however, the Syrian Army can attack from a different flank.

The Turkish regime has already announced that they will not withdraw from any observation post in northwestern Syria, despite being encircled by the Syrian military at the town of Morek. </s> BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army scored a new advance along the Hama-Idlib axis on Thursday, seizing several sites from the last jihadist rebels in the area.

According to a field report from this front, the Syrian Army began the day by capturing the hilltop of Tal Sayyed and the nearby village of Sayyed.

Following this advance, the Syrian Army would capture several other areas along the Idlib-Hama axis, including Tal Huwayz, Al-Bashir Driving School, and Wadi Al-Anz.

A source near the front-lines told Al-Masdar News that most of the militants that once controlled this area fled north before the Syrian Arab Army closed the pocket.

He added that several militants are still in the pocket, but most are situated near the Turkish Armed Forces at the observation post in the town of Morek.

Since the start of the week, the jihadist rebels have suffered several setbacks at the hands of the Syrian Army; this includes the loss of the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun. </s> BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has taken control of the entire northern Hama pocket this morning after the remaining militants either fled to the Turkish observation post or surrendered to the military.

According to a military source in Hama, the Syrian Army has taken control of the last five towns that were under the control of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and Jaysh Al-Izza.

The five towns that were previously under militant control were Kafr Zita, Al-Latamnah, Latmeen, Morek, and Lahaya.

The source said the Syrian Army has moved their troops toward the Turkish military’s observation post in Morek; however, no clashes are expected.

The Turkish regime has already said they will not withdraw from the observation post, despite being surrounded by the Syrian Arab Army.

With the Syrian Army in control of this former militant pocket, they have managed to secure the government strongholds of Al-Sqaylabiyeh and Mhardeh.

It is likely that the Syrian Army will now shift their attention to either Ma’arat Al-Nu’man or the Al-Ghaab Plain.

Advertisements </s> BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is still not in control of the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun, despite media claims of the jihadist withdrawal.

According to a military source near the front-lines, the Syrian Army entered the northern part of the city, but did not advance past a few neighborhoods in this sector of Khan Sheikhoun.

He added that the jihadist rebels of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham are believed to maintain a presence at the southern entrance of the city.

In the last hour, the jihadist rebels have fired several missiles and artillery shells on the strategic hilltop of Talat Al-Nimr, which is located directly north of Khan Sheikhoun.

As long as the Syrian Army controls Talat Al-Nimr, the jihadist rebels will not have access to their most important supply line in southern Idlib and northern Hama.

Furthermore, depsite some claims of a full militant withdrawal from the northern Hama towns of Al-Latamnah, Morek, Kafr Zita, and Latmeen, several fighters from Jays Al-Izza and Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham remain in the area.

They are not fully besieged at this time, but the Syrian Army is on the verge of cutting the Ta’amanah-Khan Sheikhoun Road. Once this is done, the militants will be fully besieged in this pocket. </s> BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian army troops pushed deep into a pocket of territory in the northwest where they encircled rebels and a Turkish military post, seizing towns the insurgents have held for years, state TV and a monitor said on Friday.

The army has imposed “a choking siege” on the cluster of towns, with much of it coming either under army control or within firing range, state-run Ikhabriya TV said.

Soldiers captured a dozen hills, expanding state control of a main highway that runs through the area and stretches from the capital Damascus to Aleppo city, it added.

Several rebel officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government force, backed by Russia, recovered the town of Kafr Zita from rebels who had controlled it since 2012. A Turkish military post in the nearby town of Morek was now also encircled, the UK-based war monitor and state TV said.

Under its deals with Russia, Turkey has forces stationed at a dozen military posts in Idlib. The latest army advances have put Turkish troops in the firing line and threatened Ankara’s hopes of preventing a new wave of refugees on its border.

Ten of thousands of people have fled towards the Turkish border in recent days as air and ground attacks battered parts of Idlib and Hama in northwest Syria, the country’s last big rebel stronghold. The United Nations says the offensive has killed hundreds of people since it began in late April. </s> Syrian Army General Command vows to liberate all areas from terrorists

The General Command of the Army and Armed forces announces : Khan Sheikhon city and the towns and villages of Morke, Latamneh, Kafer Zeitta, Latmin, M’arkabeh, Lahaya and Kaeb al-Fars plus strategic hills are now cleansed from terrorists.

“With strong determination to achieve victory, our armed forces positioned in the north of Hama and in the south of Idleb continued to advance on the ground and to defeat armed terrorist groups holed up in the region after inflicting heavy losses upon them,”the Command’s statement said today.

It went on to say: “After intensive strikes carried out over the past days and cordoning off the northern countryside of Hama, our brave soldiers have managed to clean the following towns: Khan Sheikhoun, Morek, Latamneh, Sayad hill, mostawda’at, Wadi Anz, Wadi Asal, Kafer Zetta, Latmin, M’akrabeh, Lhaya , Fares hill, Latmin, hill, Wadi Hasmin, Wadi Qesmin and Kaeb al-Faras.”

The statement affirmed the continuity of military operations against terrorist organizations till the liberation of all areas.

It stressed that operations will go ahead to remove the huge number of landmines planted previously by terrorists in the liberated areas in order to allow civilians to return to their homes in the region as soon as possible.

It had to happen sooner or later, the Turk plan to sever Idlib has flopped miserably. Abu Muhammad Al-Jawlaani’s plan to create a new all-Sunni Salafist Idlib nation is now at the very bottom of the abyss. American planners had better reckon with their own feckless plans to redefine the Middle East. Syria has won. Russia has won. Iran has battered all comers in a fight of the century. Technology, tactics and resilience marked this glorious day when the terrorists and their propagandists had to eat crow once and for all. I hope the dish was small and tasty.

As of this morning, Damascus time, the Syrian Army, its allies and supporters, have established full hegemony over all Hama Province for the first time since 2013. Khaan Shaykhoon, is now completely liberated. Don’t believe any of the propagandists who tell you there are “pockets of stiff resistance” in the south of the town. Don’t believe them. My source in Latakia whose wife has sent me his messages says he is there and is watching as engineers defuse explosive devices left behind by the cowering enemy in Khaan Shaykhoon itself.

Here are the towns that were liberated in both Hama and Idlib as of this morning:

I just received a report that an entire garrison of Turks has been surrounded near Al-Mawrek. With the new T-90s and their home-built Sarab 1 and 2, the Turks will find it somewhat challenging to break the siege that’s tightening around them. It is a glorious day for the SAA.

On August 23, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the Tiger Forces and their allies fully libearated the northern Hama pocket, including the towns of Kafr Zita, Lataminah and Morek.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:
• Syrian Army Deploys Troops, Battle Tanks Meters Away From Turkish Post After Capturing Murak (Video, Map)
• Syrian army achieves decisive victory over terrorist groups in Hama and Idleb
• Syria, China Stress Need to Continue the Fight against Terrorism
• A humanitarian corridor opens in Soran (Hama countryside) for citizens to leave the areas controlled by terrorists.
• US-Backed “Qasad” Continues to Terrorize Civilians in the Syrian al-Jazira Region
• Turkification, Crimes of Killing and Kidnapping Continue in Syrian Areas Occupied by Turkish Regime

Filed under: Al Qaeda, Axis of Resistance, Erdogan, neo-Ottoman, Russia, SAA, Syria, Turkey, War on Syria | Tagged: AngloZionist Empire, Hama, Khan Sheikhoun, The Idlib Offensive, Turkification Nortth Syria, US-Turkey-Israel “Triple Alliance" | </s> The Syrian government has reached an evacuation deal with fighters from Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to leave the Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus.

The official SANA news agency announced on Monday that the fighters and their families, numbering about 5,000, would be evacuated in two stages, the first of which would see 1,500 people transported to the rebel-controlled Idlib province in northwestern Syria.

The deal is part of a wider agreement between HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and President Bashar al-Assad's government to surrender heavy and medium military hardware.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said the rebel group had to concede to government demands of releasing prisoners and allowing thousands of Syrians from the besieged loyalist towns of Kefraya and Foua to head for government-controlled territory.

SANA reported that these include 85 prisoners, "mostly women, children and elderly", from the rebel-controlled town of Eshtabraq.

"Pro-government forces have long wanted to fully evacuate the predominately Shia towns because that would deny the rebels the ability to pressure Damascus by threatening to target them," she said.

Buses to transport the rebels and their relatives have already begun gathering around Yarmouk near midnight, local news media reported.

Khodr said this was the fourth such agreement in recent weeks and constituted another important win for government forces and their allies.

"Rebels have already surrendered Eastern Ghouta, which was their main stronghold close to the capital, and a pocket of territory in the Qalamoun region, northeast of Damascus," she said.

"In a few days, rebel factions linked to the Free Syrian Army are expected to hand over the districts of Babbila, Beit Sahm and Yalda in southern Damascus in order to stave off a military operation".

Nevertheless, this falls short of securing the entirety of southern Damascus, with a few pockets of territory still under control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Government forces have been involved in a two-week-long offensive to recapture the territory, but ISIL units have put up fierce resistance in areas where heavy weapons have proven to be of limited use.
The Syrian Army captures the entire northern Hama-southern Idlib rebel pocket, asserting control over the strategic towns of Kafr Zita, Al-Lataminah and Murak, as well as numerous villages and an archaeological site, following the withdrawal of rebel forces.