The Syrian army took control of the town of As-Sukhn and landed troops on the border between Homs and Rakka
For the past three days, Syrian government forces were able to completely clear the militants of the Terr. The Islamic State (IG, banned in Russia), the town of As-Sukhna in Homs province, to expand the control zone around it and conduct an amphibious operation, as a result of which terrorists were threatened by encirclement.
By August 10, under the control of the IG, there were only two blocks in the center of As-Sukhn. The city was simultaneously demining the liberated territories and fighting continued with groups of militants moving through underground tunnels. In addition, the work of sappers constantly had to be interrupted due to the periodic shelling of the city (artillery IG even on August 10-11 took to the city).
On August 11, the Syrian special forces, Hezbollah fighters and the Fatimiyun battalion managed to knock out terrorists from positions to the east of the city. Terrorists lost several pieces of equipment (including BMP) and they had to withdraw their artillery from the city. At the same time, two tunnels were discovered and blocked in the city, leading from the very outskirts of the village to its center. From this moment the suppression of the remaining IG groups in the city began.
Approximately 11: 00 local time on August 12, the city was completely cleaned, officially reported to the Ministry of Defense of Syria, and then to Russia. Minister of Defense S. Shoigu noted that the capture of As-Sukhn will help release the key point on the map of Syria - Deir ez Zor. The Syrian military notes that the mine of As-Sukhn will take more than a week.
Almost simultaneously with the liberation of As-Sukhn, on the night of August 12, the special forces of the Syrian army disembarked from helicopters on the border of the provinces of Rakka and Homs in the area of the villages of Bir Rukhum and Al-Qader (Kadir). As a result of a fast night raid, the villages of Bir Rukhum, Khirbet al-Makman and Al-Qader were taken. Under the control of the Syrian army, the territory extended the length of approx. 20 km. And to a depth of 5 km.
On the afternoon of August 12, a connection was established between the area liberated by the landing force and the main forces of government troops in the province of Racca. The result of the landing was a sharp narrowing of the outlined ring of encirclement around the IG grouping in a vast area north of Palmyra in the Akram, Twainam and other fields.
Photo: Situation at the junction of the provinces of Homs, Rakka and Deir ez Zor on August 12, 2017. The landing area of the landing is indicated