DAMASCUS, Aug 24 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Syrian army forces are 500 meters away from the Turkish military observation point in the town of Morek in the central province of Hama, a Syrian military source said.
After capturing the strategic town of Khan Shaykhun in the southern countryside of Idlib Province in northwestern Syria, the Syrian army succeeded to fully secure several adjacent towns in the northern countryside of Hama on Friday.
The army captured the towns of Al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita as well as Latmin and Morek and other towns in northern Hama, securing the entire northern countryside of Hama from the rebel groups.
“By the grace of God, we captured the towns of Al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita as well as Morek and these areas have become completely empty of armed groups and we entered all these areas and the army deployed there and these achievements were made possible by the sacrifices of the Syrian army,” the source told Xinhua, confirming a military statement that was issued by the army earlier on Friday.
Meanwhile, the officer said the army is only 500 meters from a Turkish military observation point which was set up in Morek.
“Today morning we advanced into Morek and we captured it completely. We also dismantled large numbers of mines in that town and we are now on the bridge of Morek and we are 500 meters from the Turkish point where Turkish soldiers and logistic military gears are located,” he said.
It’s worth noting that areas in the countryside of Hama and the adjacent Idlib province are included in the de-escalation zones’ deal established by Russia and Turkey last September.
Under the deal, Turkish observation points were set up in areas in Idlib and Hama.
However, the deal failed to materialize as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front rejected to withdraw and battles flared last April.
Earlier this month, Russia and Turkey supervised a new cease-fire in the de-escalation zone but it was quick to fall apart. — NNN-XINHUA
