Syrian government troops liberate 22 towns in eastern Aleppo

Syrian government forces gather in a building in the al-Qaboun suburb of Damascus on May 16, 2017, after they retook the formerly militant-held neighborhood. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian government forces have retaken nearly two dozen villages in the northern province of Aleppo from Daesh Takfiri terrorists as they continue to score more territorial gains in battles against extremists across the country.

An unnamed military source told Syria’s official news agency, SANA, that Syrian troops had regained control of 22 towns, including al-Asilan, al-Fakhha, Khirbat al-Fakhha, al-Mezzeh al-Shamaliyah, al-Ajouziyah, al-Ramadaniyah, al-Masoudiyah, al-Hamra, al-Faisaliyah, Umm Hajrah, al-Taybbeh and Rasem al-Ghazal, in the eastern flank of the province on Saturday.

The source added that more than 1,200 Daesh terrorists, including militant commander Abu Hawzaifa al-Libi, were killed and hundreds of others injured during the military operations.

Some 101 vehicles, 7 cannons, four battle tanks, two amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicles and 12 command centers for the militants were destroyed as well.

Earlier, Syrian government forces, backed by allied popular fighters, carried out a number of offensives against Daesh positions in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo, establishing control over the northeastern and middle parts of al-Towaihina Mountains.

Elsewhere in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, Syrian army soldiers carried out a string of special operations against Daesh positions, killing more than 70 terrorists and destroying four of their machine gun-equipped vehicles.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

Over the past few months, the Takfiri elements operating in Syria have suffered major setbacks as the Syrian military has managed to liberate several regions.