Under allegations of “War on ISIS”, the Russian jets destroy the eastern countryside of Hama by means of hundreds of air raids
Hama Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the eastern countryside of Hama has been targeted, since the dawn of Thursday, 6th of July 2017 till now by intensive shelling of the Russian and the regime’s warplanes on ISIS-controlled areas in Hama countryside. The SOHR observed that at least 90 raids were carried out by these warplanes on the villages of Akash, Suha, Salba, Groh Al-Na’emiyyeh, Al-Hanutah, Arshuna, Abu Dalia, al-Qastal and Massoud and other areas near ISIS-controlled Uqayribat Township, as part of the Russian attempt to control the area; thus getting closer to the oil and gas fields and eventually taking control of them.
The SOHR published on Wednesday night that hundreds of raids were carried out by Russian warplanes and regime’s warplanes during the period between the 20th of June 2017 until the 5th of July 2017 targeting ISIS-controlled areas in the villages of Al-Barghothiyyah, Abu-Hbaylat, Abu-Hanaya, Jana Al-‘Albawi, Hamada Omar, Salba, Massoud, Qulayb Al-Thawr, Al-Hardana, ‘Akash, Abu-Dalia and other areas controlled by ISIS near ‘Eqayrbat in the eastern countryside of Hama, as part of the operation launched by the regime forces in an attempt to advance for 45 km, extending from the points of Shahed 9 and Shahed 10 south-west of Al-Sheikh Hilal area in the eastern countryside of Hama to Al-Sha’er Gas Field in the eastern desert of Homs. Such an advancement, if achieved, would allow the regime forces to force ISIS to withdraw from an area of about 2500 km2, over both Homs and Hama Provinces and put an end to ISIS existence in Hama completely.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from several reliable sources that the Russian forces are providing an aerial and ground firearm through the intense daily bombardment and shelling on the “Islamic State” organization’s controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Hama, in order to secure the road for the ground forces to advance in the area mentioned above, also the Syrian Observatory learned that Russian forces are seeking through this process to control the remaining areas that are under the control of the “Islamic State” organization, which contain oil and gas fields.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also observed that this advancement -in case it was carried out by the Russian-supported regime forces and militiamen loyal to them- would completely secure the road of Salamiyyeh – Ithriyah – Khanasser – Aleppo, which is the main nourishing artery of Aleppo city and regime forces’ controlled areas in the province, and it will also secure the road of Palmyra – Homs completely.