Syrian troops liberate several villages, hoist national flag in Quneitra

Syrian army troops and their allied forces have raised the national flag in Quneitra in the southwest of the Arab country, as government soldiers continue their push to retake full control of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a strategic Syrian territory that borders Jordan.

A correspondent of Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Thursday that units of the Syrian Arab Army entered the village of al-Hamidiya, some three kilometers to the north of Quneitra city, the provincial capital.

It added that the army’s engineering units would soon begin to comb the rural area to discover and defuse planted landmines and explosive devices by militants in order to secure the return of locals.

The correspondent further added that the Syrian national flag was also hoisted over Hamidiya as the army troopers were entering the town.

In a separate report on Thursday, SANA, citing an unnamed Syrian military official, also said that army forces had managed to liberate a number of villages and towns, including al-Sheikh Hussein, Kawkab, al-Shabrak, Mseirta, al-Lweih and Salbak in the northwest countryside of Dara’a’s and Quneitra’s southeastern countryside.

Syrian troops and their allied forces, backed by Russian and Syrian air cover, have been pushing into Quneitra province following a major offensive last month that routed foreign-backed militants in Dara’a province.

During the past few weeks, Syrian forces have managed to liberate dozens of villages and towns from the clutches of Takfiri terrorists in the country’s southwestern provinces. The anti-terror offensive in these provinces is significant since they border the strategic Golan Heights.

SS