At least 45 dead within 24 hours, raise the number of casualties of regime forces and ISIS during two weeks of battles in the Syrian dessert to about 360

Battles continue violently between the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, along with tribal forces armed and trained by the Russians, on one hand and ISIS on the other in areas in the western desert of Deir Ezzor after the regime forces managed to advance into the Province during the last 24 hours. The regime forces also managed to make an advancement that reduced the distance separating them from Deir Ezzor, which has been besieged by ISIS since the beginning of 2015. ISIS first besieged the regime-controlled areas then and later tightened that siege on them at the beginning of 2017. The regime forces aim to advance and move deeper into the western countryside of Deir Ezzor to turnaround the mountain highlands and Al-Bashri Mountain, which is a strategic one that would enable the regime forces, in case they took control of it and positioned themselves on top of it, to control and have within shooting range many villages and vast areas of the western countryside of Deir Ezzor and its stretches towards Al-Sukhnah area and the eastern dessert of Homs. Such advancement came 72 hours after the regime forces were able to enter Deir Ezzor Province for the first time after they crossed the administrative border between Al-Raqqah and the western countryside of Deir Ezzor.

These battles in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor coincide with continued clashes between both parties in the only remaining part under the control of ISIS in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah at the southern banks of the Euphrates, which is adjacent to the western countryside of Deir Ezzor. This comes as part of the regime’s continued military operations to put an end to ISIS presence in the only part that remained under their control in Al-Raqqah Province. These violent clashes taking place in areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah were accompanied by bombardments by the regime forces that targeted areas of clashes along with intensive airstrikes by warplanes on ISIS positions and controlled areas. On the other hand, ISIS are also carrying out bombings and targeting operations, causing more casualties. The SOHR documented during the last 24 hours the death of at least 17 members of the regime forces, including an officer, in addition to the death of at least 28 ISIS members over the same period of time. Thus, the fatalities documented by SOHR since the 17th of July, the date in which the regime forces ended the presence of ISIS in the western part of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah, until today, the 31st of July, rose to a total of 358 in addition to the injury of tens of others with varied degrees of severity. The number of fatalities among the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, rose to 156 at least, including at least 24 officers, who were killed as a result of bombings, shelling and in clashes with ISIS. On the other hand, the number of ISIS members and field commanders who were killed in aerial raids, intensive artillery and rocket shelling and in clashes with the regime forces and their allied militiamen rose to 202 at least.

It is worth mentioning that the regime forces managed on the 17th of July 2017 to achieve an important advancement taking control of oil fields in the eastern half of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that this important advancement allowed the regime forces to reach the outskirts of the strategic mountain of Al-Bashri, which is a rugged-terrain mountain that is considered one of the most important strongholds of the “Islamic State” organization in Syria. This mountain witnessed the visits of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi -the leader of the “Islamic State” organization- to meet with military and security commanders of the organization in earlier times. The mountain extends through the administrative borders of 3 provinces and is one of the important positions on which the organization has been depending in the supply operations and for securing its commanders. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also published on the 23rd of June 2017 that it had learned that after Al-Nujabaa Movement and the rest of the regime’s allied militiamen managed to control the areas of Al-Wa’er dam, Al-Wa’er valley and Ard Al-Washwash and several other positions within the areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization, they were able to enter the administrative border of Deir Ezzor province from its southeastern countryside, near the border with Iraq. This strategic advancement allowed the regime forces to expand their scope of control and presence along the Syrian-Iraqi border.