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High-rise buildings of strategic importance near Southern bypass have been taken under control yesterday.
Now Syrian Arab Army starts operations to split and destroy the surrounded terrorist group having taken this height.
Today's operations aim to push the militants away from the highway.
Any movement within private sector houses is suppressed from Syrian Army foothold positions.
Militant sniper fires upon floors in a row trying to find us.
We move out to the infantry lodged in private sectors together with commanders.
Building damage speaks of itself regarding the intensity of street fights here.
"We've fastened the ceil here so that it wouldn't collapse from shells"
"See, all of this was built by militants, later we came and used [that]"
It was only possible to whisper here
so that militants wouldn't start firing upon the sound.
But one must not relax today either: militant snipers rake the space with fire from Zamalka side.
Our path lies through piles of rubble and broken bricks.
It's hard to believe that it was someone's home back then.
Commanders inspect the future tank attack direction themselves
and discuss the actions with infantry.
"Softly, softly, militants are at hand!"
"What do you need?"
"We need the tank to break this position. They've got a barricade there, need to break it.
They're afraid of tank. We'll exploit the moment and attack"
These high-rise buildings were under Al Nusra Front militants' control just yesterday.
And now the terrorists entrenched in private sector houses are fired upon from these [buildings].
I've followed the captain upstairs to recon the territory.
I felt myself like at the shooting range but being a target:
it was hard to find a corner that wouldn't be visible from some side with the militants there,
and [these] walls can't cover from sniper round.
But Syrian Arab Army commanders don't take this trifle into account when they need to develop attack plan:
a thoroughly planned attack will save soldier lives.
This four-storey building is still controlled by militants.
Sometimes soldiers and militants are a few meters away within private sector.
These carpets were pulled up by militants.
Machinegunners rake the nearby buildings with fire targeted by captain thus disturbing the militant communications.
Tankers go forward.
"Closer, to the left, a tiny bit! A bit more! Forward! More! Stop!
To the left, take to the left!"
Soldiers have reported that they've spotted a militant gunman position.
Targeting is passed to the tankers and the strike follows.
"Friends to the right, militants to the left. Fire upon the first house, fire upon this house!
I see some movement there, fire!
Good, good!
All done, tanks retreat, get back, go!
Second tank, smoke screen, faster! Turn the smoke screen on, second tank!
OK, go back, go back!"
The tanks retreat having completed their task.
The infantry has cleaned up eight buildings from militants having drawn up to the next terrorist defense line.
Andrey Filatov, Victor Kuznetsov, Igor Nadyrshin, Marat Musin. ANNA-News. Damascus.