12.05.2016, Syria.
ISIL (Organization banned in Russia) terrorists made a dangerous counterattack in the eastern Syrian province of Homs. As a result they managed to capture two gas fields Shaer and Al-Mahr. This was reported by the Lebanese newspaper “As-Safir” on Wednesday.
“Government forces are fiercely fighting against gangs of ISIL [Organization banned in Russia – Editor] near the neighboring gas field Jezal and try to regain the control over the army barracks 10 km away from the military airport T-4” – the newspaper says. According to the newspaper, on Tuesday militants seized two checkpoints which protected the road to the air base, and attacked the barracks. According to officially unconfirmed information, they managed to shoot down the Syrian Air Force helicopter in this area.
As “As-Safir” points out, the militants are also trying to break through to Havatima settlement, from which they will be able to threaten with the capture of Palmyra again.
SANA news agency reports that the Syrian air force intensively strike the enemy positions and columns 120 km away from Homs. “Military transport vehicles of terrorists with machine guns and main guns mounted were destroyed to the West of the Al-Mahr fields, and to the East of the Jezal and Hneyfise gas fields in Tadmor (Palmyra) outskirts as well,” SANA reports. According to the agency, air strikes were made on the base of the militants in Hveysis in 77 km from Homs. Syrian Air Force raided ISIL (Organization banned in Russia) fortifications near Palmyra in Umm-Tababir and Wadi al-Misk.
ISIL (Organization banned in Russia) column was attacked in Ukeyrabat in 20 km to the East of Salmiya (Hama province). As SANA emphasizes, the supplies of ISIL (Organization banned in Russia) gangs are going via the key base on the edge of the Syrian desert. Ukeyrabat is used as a base area for militant attacks on settlements, oil and gas wells in the vicinity of Palmyra.
The commanders of the Syrian Arab Republic Army takes urgent actions to remedy the situation in the East of Homs, transferring the reserves from other sectors. All three gas fields, Shaer, Al-Mahr and Jezal, around which the fights are happening, are of strategic importance for the Syrian economy. The power plant in Homs and Damascus, which supplies electricity to central and southern regions of the country, receives the gas from these fields.
Source: TASS
