Syria Army Retakes Last Daesh-Held Town in Homs: Report


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian government and allied forces have taken the last major town in the central Homs province from Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorists, a report said.

On Saturday, the Syrian army advanced toward the terrorists’ strongholds in the east of the country in Homs and recaptured the town of al-Sukhna in the central province, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

The town lies some 50 km (30 miles) northeast of the ancient city of Palmyra, which was captured by government forces in March.

A Hezbollah media unit said government and allied forces were making considerable progress inside the city of Sukhna.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported earlier on Saturday that the army was advancing into al-Sukhna from three directions.

Syrian government forces have been also advancing against Daesh in Hama province and in southern areas of Raqqa province.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.