Government troops thwart terrorist attack in Syria’s Latakia

Syrian army forces have managed to frustrate an attack by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the country’s western costal province of Latakia as they are engaged in joint counter-terrorism operations with allied fighters from popular defense groups against the extremists.

“Militant groups attacked the settlement of Attera in the northern part of the province late last night,” an unnamed Syrian military source told the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Tuesday, adding that the assault was repulsed following a fierce exchange of gunfire.

The source further noted that a large of militants were killed and injured in the failed attack.

Separately, Syrian army soldiers have recovered a large amount of munitions left behind by Takfiri Daesh militants on the outskirts of al-Bukamal city in the country’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr and near the border with Iraq. 

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that government forces were conducting a clean-up operation in Dwir town, when they made the discovery.

The report added that the munitions included T-72 and T-62 tank shells, remote-controlled anti-personnel and anti-armor mines, machine guns, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades.

Car bomb attack leaves eight dead in southwestern Syria

Meanwhile, at least eight people, including government forces and foreign-backed militiamen, have lost their lives when a car bomb explosion ripped through an area in Syria’s southwestern province of Dara’a.

Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the so-called Britain-based Observatory, said the bomb attack targeted a military position in Zaizun village, which lies in the western countryside of the province.

Rahman added that members of the Salafist militant group Khalid ibn al-Walid Army could be behind the act of terror.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.

Russia has been helping Syrian forces in an ongoing battle in the province of Dayr al-Zawr as Daesh struggles to keep its last positions in eastern Syria.

The Russian military assistance, which began in September 2015 at the official request of the Syrian government, has proved effective as the Syrians continue to recapture key areas from Daesh and other terrorist groups across the country with the backing of Russia’s air cover.

On May 21, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces announced in a statement that complete security was restored to Damascus and its countryside after al-Hajar al-Aswad district and al-Yarmouk camp had been totally purged of Daesh terrorists.

The development was preceded by flushing the Takfiris out of the towns of Yalda, Babbila and Beit Sahem on the southern outskirts of Damascus.

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