"Pro-government troops set the Arbid Al-Judaydah district free following several hours of heavy fighting in the region," the Iranian news agency FARS quoted the source as saying.
The liberation of the district came after the Syrian troops and the NDF liberated the strategic villages of Qatar and Tal Hattabat located to the north of Kweiris Airbase late last week.
#SYRIA #FOOTAGE Combat sorties of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers on terrorists' objects in Syria https://t.co/VqpkN0eXL2 https://t.co/kh6QWngedZ
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 25 января 2016
Meanwhile, retired Lebanese Brigadier General Ali Maqsoud has said that the Syrian Army is due to stage a massive attack on al-Nusra Front militants in the coming days in order to break the siege of the Shiite-populated towns of al-Zahra and Nubl in northwestern Aleppo.
#SYRIA On Jan 22-24, Tu-22M3 bombers made 18 combat sorties from Russian territory to engage #ISIS militants and hardware near Deir ez-Zor
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 25 января 2016
The towns have been surrounded by terrorists for years, and the civilian population has been besieged and starving there for at least several months.
#SYRIA On January 22-24, Russian aviation group in Syria performed 169 sorties engaging 484 terrorists' objects https://t.co/ZwGLZXCbGL
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 25 января 2016
"All terrorist groups that are targeting the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra will experience a defeat similar to the defeat they faced at Kweiris Airbase in Aleppo Province," Ali Maqsoud was quoted by FARS as saying.
#SYRIA In the course of last 24 hours, supported by Russian aviation Syrian forces liberated 92 sq km, 28 towns including #Rabia
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 25 января 2016
The Russian General Staff said on Monday that combat aircraft from the Russian air group in Syria have carried out 169 sorties in the last three days, hitting more than 480 terrorist targets. The statement came as dozens of Daesh terrorists were killed and many more wounded after the Syrian Army repelled a spate of militants' attempts to seize hilltops located near the strategic town of Baqaliyeh in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor.