Hello and welcome to the 279th installment of the SWD .

Military events/news are listed below by the governorates:

Aleppo:

Improvised explosive device in Darat Izza targeted a vehicle belonging to the head of the guidance division in directorate of education (Syrian Salvation Government), Qassim Mustafa al-Helou and killed him. The explosion took place at one of the squares in the city, also wounding two civilians.

Idlib:

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham raided civil court in the city of Saraqib, arresting Khalid al-Najjar, assistant judge in charge of the court and confiscating the court’s documents belonging to the Syrian government. The court is used to settle personal issues and issue marriage contracts, family books, birth registration, and real estate registration. The court’s employees are still receiving salaries from the Syrian government. Source from Saraqib said that the point of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s raid was not to destroy the documents, but rather to confiscate them.

Hama:

Syrian Arab Army, backed by allies and Russian Air Force, took control of Al-Ruwaydah village from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the northern Hama.

Syrian Arab News Agency claimed that Syrian Arab Army and National Defense Forces killed 30 rebels during the clashes for Al-Zilaqiat and Zalin checkpoint. SAA also reportedly destroyed a tank and a BMP.

Official spokesman of the Free Syrian Army’s Jaysh al-Izza, Captain Mustafa Maarati denied participation of any other group in the group’s attack on Al-Zilaqiat and Zalin checkpoint yesterday, even though Jaysh al-Ahrar confirmed its participation in the attack.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham repelled Islamic State’s attack on Tell Rasm al-Hamam.

Approximate situation in the northern Hama. Source: Emmanuel

Deir al-Zour:

Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State clashed near Al-Jaradhi al-Sharqi village, and according to the latter’s news agency, five SDF ‘s elements were killed and two wounded in the clashes.

Islamic State’s Amaq Agency claimed an IS’ suicide attack targeted gathering of Syrian Democratic Forces’ elements east of Tanak oil field, allegedly killing and wounding 20 SDF ‘s elements.

Damascus:

Syrian Arab Army’s artillery targeted Kafr Batna, Ain Terma, Harasta, Hazeh, and Beit Naim in the East Ghouta. Director of the Syrian Civil Defense’s (The White Helmets) information office in the East Ghouta, Abu Yamen said that the shelling of Ain Terma resulted in injury of five civilians.

Syrian Security Forces arrested two drug traffickers and seized their vehicle, which contained 43 kilograms (95 pounds) of cannabis and heroin.

Syrian Arab Army reportedly captured Tell Marwan from the rebel Jabal al-Sheikh operations room, south of Mugh al-Meer in Beit Jinn pocket. Reports suggest that the capture of the aforementioned hill forced rebel forces to open negotiations with the Syrian government, reportedly regarding the evacuation from the pocket.

Daraa:

Syrian Arab Army and Free Syrian Army’s Quwat al-Hasm clashed east of Nahtah, as the latter foiled former’s attempt to plant improvised explosive devices on the road between Bosra al-Harir and Nahtah. Deputy leader of Free Syrian Army’s Quwat al-Hasm, Muhammad al-Hariri stated that the group’s Firqat Amawd Hawran engaged SAA ‘s elements, which tried to infiltrate the road from their positions in the 12th Brigade. Clashes between Syrian Arab Army and Free Syrian Army’s factions were also reported east of Dael, as SAA tried to infiltrate the city from their positions in the abandoned battalion’s area.

Iraq

Kirkuk:

Islamic State reportedly destroyed Al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) vehicle and killed two fighters near the village of Al-Dakshman, according to the Amaq Agency.

Baghdad:

Iraqi Security Forces conducted operations south of Baghdad. The security forces discovered 30 improvised explosive devices, a metal container (220 liters (58 gallons) capacity) filled with explosive materials, and 12 various mortar shells. The materials and explosive devices were safely removed and detonated in a controlled explosion.

Afghanistan

Balkh Province:

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (Taliban) improvised explosive device destroyed Afghan National Army’s vehicle in Silo directorate of Mazar-e Sharif district. The explosion of the vehicle killed famous Afghan National Army’s commander Ghulam Sakhi Qati and his bodyguard, as well as wounded two bodyguards.

Sar-e Pol Province:

Afghan National Security Forces conducted operations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as a part of the “Alborz 20” operation, aimed at eliminating the group’s presence in Sangjark directorate. ANSF reportedly killed 40 and wounded 36 fighters of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Several local IEA commanders were also killed and IEA ‘s deputy governor of Sangjark directorate, Qari Shir Mohammad. The operations also resulted in destruction of four vehicles, 36 motorcycles, and four IEA fighting positions.

Kabul Province:

Three Islamic State’s inghimasi (suicide fighters) raided National Security Training Center in Kabul. Three IS’ inghimasi were killed by the security forces, while the Islamic State’s Amaq Agency claimed that the inghimasi killed and wounded 150 elements belonging to the Afghan intelligence.

Kapisa Province:

Afghan National Security Forces arrested a fighter of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Nijrab district.

Laghman Province:

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ambushed Afghan National Army’s convoy in Khiru Khail directorate of Qarghayi district, destroying a tank, killing two and wounding three soldiers.

Nangarhar Province:

Afghan National Security Forces conducted operations against the Islamic State in Khogyani district. The operations resulted in death of five and injury of nine Islamic State’s fighters, as well as in destruction of several weapons depots and ammunition caches.

Maidan Wardak Province:

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ambushed Afghan National Army’s infantry in Batten and Sultan areas of Saydabad district, killing one and wounding two soldiers.

Badghis Province:

Afghan National Police’s commander of Ab Kamari district, Abdul Rasoul Sqandari was ambushed and killed by the fighters of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Haft Shahid area of Ab Kamari district. The ambush took place as the ANP ‘s elements were on their way from the 7th station towards a checkpoint attacked by IEA . Four elements of ANP were also wounded in the ambush. IEA took responsibility for the assassination and stated that the fighters seized an armored vehicle, two assault rifles and a pistol.

Ghazni Province:

Afghan National Security Forces’ operations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Andar district, resulted in death of nine and injury of ten IEA elements.

Paktika Province:

Four elements of the Afghan National Police, including a commander Ibrahim, defected to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Janikhel district.

Farah Province:

Afghan National Security Forces killed five and wounded eight fighters of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Farah district.

Helmand Province:

Afghan National Security Forces conducted large-scale operations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan across Marjah, Sangin, Nad Ali, and Jerash districts, killing 24, wounding 11 and capturing three fighters of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ambushed a group of elements belonging to the Afghan National Police in Bargao directorate of Jerash district. The ambush reportedly killed four policemen.

CJTF-OIR :

Between the 15th and the 17th of December 2017 CJTF-OIR has conducted 16 strikes in Syria. CJTF-OIR ‘s main focus in Syria at the moment is Deir al-Zour-Albu Kamal region where they did 16 strikes supporting SDF ‘s operations against IS destroying four IS vehicles, two logistics centers, an IS headquarters, a fighting position, an explosive hazard, and an IS-held building.

Full report on CJTF-OIR strikes conducted in both Syria & Iraq can be found here.

Amaq Agency:

Egypt:

Islamic State’s snipers reportedly killed three elements of the Egyptian Army, west of Al-Sheikh Zuwaid and east of Al-Arish, in the North Sinai Governorate.

Other:

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