Syrian forces advance in Dayr al-Zawr, Homs

Government troops, backed by popular defense forces, liberated the al-Tayyas hill in the T4 area’s northeastern regions following a deadly battle with the terrorists.

A large number of the terrorists were killed and injured in the firefight, which also destroyed a large amount of their vehicles and equipment.

In the province’s northern countryside, Syrian forces also engaged terrorists of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham -- al-Qaeda's Syrian branch formerly known as al-Nusra Front -- killing several of them.

In footage released by Syria, soldiers can be seen fighting the terrorists with rockets and tanks.

Meanwhile, government forces also engaged in extensive operations against Daesh in the country's eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr, where they inflicted vast casualties against the terrorists.

A cessation of hostilities took effect on December 30 in Syria, following an agreement between warring parties. Daesh and Fateh al-Sham are not included in the truce.

Mediated by Russia and Turkey with the support of Iran, the truce is the first of its kind that has been largely holding in Syria for almost three weeks now.

Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy over the past almost six years. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the Syria crisis until then. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

KD