Syrian War Report – February 7, 2018: Syrian Army Liberates Dozens Villages From ISIS In Northeastern Hama

Overnight on February 7, the Israeli Air Force fired three missiles at a target in the Damascus countryside. The strike was allegedly aimed at a technology research center in the Jemraya area. According to pro-government sources, the Syrian Air Defense Forces shot down at least one missile.

Following the incident, the Syrian media accused Tel Aviv of supporting terrorists in Syria with these strikes and said that the attack is linked with the collapse of ISIS and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in eastern Idlib and northeastern Hama. The Israeli media argued that the attack is aimed at defending the Israeli national interests.

Russia has reportedly deployed additional Special Forces units at frontlines in Syria following the Su-25 shootdown in the province of Idlib.
According to reports, Russia’s Special Operations Forces are now actively operating in the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Idlib. A notable number of Russian military advisers has been recently spotted in the area of the Abu al-Duhur airbase. Some pro-government sources link the growing military activity with the upcoming advance on the Idlib provincial capital.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces liberated 19 villages from ISIS in the northeastern Hama pocket, including Humah, Maslukhah, Aziziyah, Luwaybidah, Jubb Uthman, Marami, Jadwaiyah Qibliyah, Jadwaaiyah Shamaliyah, Abu Hilal and Tiwal Dabbaghin.

According to pro-government sources, ISIS lost some 12 fighters in these clashes. However, these claims were not confirmed by any evidence.
Clashes between the SAA and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham also continued in the areas of Mushayrifah and Tell Sultan.

On February 6, the FSA accused the People’s Protection Units (YPG) of using chemical weapons at in the Bulbul district in the Syrian area of Afrin. The YPG allegedly used a shell containing chlorine gas injuring about 20 FSA members, 7 of them were in critical condition last night.
Most likely, this statement is another example of the propaganda war ongoing in Syria. The so-called moderate opposition often accuse its enemies of chemical attacks. So, the Turkish leadership could use these reports to expand its military efforts against the YPG.

Washington uses the same approach against the Damascus government. The mainstream media just blames the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance for almost all civilian casualties in this war.

Separately, the Turkish Armed Forces and the FSA engaged the YPG in the village of Shaykh Khurus and the nearby hill. Turkish forces entered the area but were not able to secure it. The YPG also seized a Turkish ACV-15 armoured vehicle there. Fighting is ongoing.