The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – in cooperation with the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawk Brigades) – have taken control of Khattab in the eastern part of the Homs Governorate; this village is located south of Al-Salamiyyah in southeast Hama and north of Jabal Al-Sha’ar.

According to a military source, the SAA and NDF liberated this area from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) after launching multiple attacks on the latter in eastern Homs.

The source added that 2 dozen militants from ISIS were killed during the liberation of Khattab, including 3 enemy combatants identified as “Rami ‘Ismaa’eel Fakhouri” (Syrian), “Mohammad Hussein Abu Zayd” (Syrian), and “Safwan Ahmad Al-Ghareeb” (Yemeni).

Violent clashes were also reported in the Homs Governorate at Talbeiseh, Ar-Rastan, Taldou, Jabal Al-Sha’ar, and the Houla Plains.