Syria Update: Latest Events - December 16, 2013

Syria Update: Latest Events

December 16, 2013



Deir ez-Zor. A large band of A-Nusra Front terrorists had tried to break into Aiyash village in Deir ez-Zor province and to assault a Syrian army unit stationed there. Most of the attacking bandits were killed during the combat. The remainder of the bandits were forced to retreat and they had to seek shelter in one of the nearby dwelling houses in the village. During a short-lived siege fight, all of the remaining terrorists were also killed. Unfortunately, three civilians, including one child, were discovered dead in the house. The bandits killed its inhabitants, when they broke into the house.

In the southeast of Deir ez-Zor province, one of the Syrian army units has located another large Al-Nusra Front-affiliated terrorist band. All the members of that terrorist band were killed during the ensued fighting. Syrian army troops took no losses. Later, large quantities of terrorist weapons, ammunition, and military equipment were retrieved from the battle area.

Hama. During counterterrorism operations in Hama city, a secret stockpile of weapons and ammunition has been discovered in a dwelling house, occupied by one of the militants. Among the retrieved items were: FN FAL assault rifle (Belgium), rigged with a rifle grenade launcher, and rifle grenades. The owner of the house has been apprehended. Investigation is underway.

Damascus province. During security checkups, in Al-Nabk city of Damascus province, Syrian army has discovered a large workshop, which had been used to produce improvised explosive devices, and a stockpile of ready-to-be-used improvised mortars and rockets. Large quantities of stockpiled compound chemicals have been seized as well which must have been used by the terrorists to produce chemical weapons components. All the seized items have been taken for further analysis.

Syrian army troops, participating in the cleanup operation, have examined the terrorist fortifications in the area including the wide network of trenches and underground tunnels that had been used by the terrorists. The expertly built two-meter deep trenches as well as concrete-reinforced underground bunkers bespoke deep involvement of foreign military specialists in the construction of those facilities. During the area checkups, Syrian army sappers have discovered and disarmed several improvised explosive devices that had been disguised as boulders and were intended to be used as part of a remotely controlled minefield. The area inspections have continued.

Deir ez-Zor. In Deir ez-Zor province, a 17-year-old woman, named Dunham, has appealed to the local law enforcement agencies. She told a story of how she had been tricked into joining one of Al-Nusra Front bands allegedly to cook food for the bandits. Once in the band, she was coerced into “sexual jihad”. Besides her, there were a number of young women from Morocco and Tunis in the terrorist group. She did know what particular group that was but the group leader, “emir”, was a foreigner, who was not proficient in Arabic. Eventually, she managed to escape.



ANNA-News Agency

Contributors: Marat Musin, Igor Nadyrshin, Vasily Pavlov, Victor Kuznetsov.

Syria