Syria marks major victory on Army Day

DAMASCUS - As the country observed Army Day, Syrian troops on Wednesday successfully dislodged the Islamic State group from its last stronghold in Daraa province, the birthplace of the Syrian war.

Over seven years ago, the crisis started in Daraa and from there spread nationwide. The situation continued to worsen as the war grabbed headlines around the world.

Terror groups of all kinds mushroomed across the country, which has turned into an arena for international and regional conflicts.

However, the administration of President Bashar al-Assad succeeded in retaking much of the country with the help of Russian and Iranian allies.

The latest victory is being achieved in Daraa, where the army on Wednesday defeated IS in the town of Qusair, which was the last IS stronghold in the Yarmouk basin area.

The capture of the town means that the entire area has been recaptured by government forces.

The army is now hunting down remnants of IS fighters who fled the battles to the outskirts of the basin, according to state TV.

The military progress means that a declaration of victory in Daraa near the Jordanian border is expected to be made soon.

The army launched a wide-scale military campaign in Daraa on June 19, capturing areas either through military action or Russia-backed reconciliation deals, which allowed rebels, who refused to live under government control, to head toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

As the birthplace of the Syrian war that erupted in 2011, Daraa is both symbolically and militarily significant for the Syrian army because the rebels have been using the Jordanian border to bring in arms and fighters throughout the Syrian war.

In order to secure the entire southern region, the Syrian army has to clear pockets controlled by the IS group in the eastern countryside of Sweida in southern Syria.

While Daraa is technically in the hands of the Syrian army, the country was observing the 73rd anniversary of founding the Syrian Arab Army on Wednesday.

In a speech for the army, Assad said that "victory will be achieved soon" across Syria as his administration has made it clear it will capture all Syrian areas and return them to government control.

"Your sacrifices and heroism allowed us to reach today the security and stability in most areas, and you have undermined the Zionist-American project which targets all without any exceptions," he said, according to news agency SANA.

Xinhua

(China Daily 08/03/2018 page11)