Violent clashes in 8 fronts extending from the Euphrates banks to Jub al-Jarrah and from the border with Iraq to the border of Aleppo

More than 700 fighters of the organization and the regime forces and their allied militiamen of Syrian, Arab and Asian nationalities during clashes in the Syrian Desert within one month

The Syrian Desert is witnessing escalated and violent battles in an attempt by the regime forces backed by their allied militiamen of Syrian, regional and Asian nationalities to achieve an advancement aimed at ending the presence of the “Islamic State” organization in the provinces of al-Raqqa, Homs and Hama so that the regime forces restore control over these province after years of losing them. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the ongoing violent clashes between both parties in several fronts in the three provinces and the clash areas between both parties, where the clash areas in Hamima area near the administrative borders of Homs – Dier Ezzor, which is close to the Syrian – Iraqi borders, and in the north of al-Sukhnah city, which is the last city controlled by ISIS in Homs province, the southwestern and the eastern area of Al-Kom area, al-Shomariyyeh Mountain area, the vicinity of Jub al-Jarrah which is about 50 km away of Homs city, Sha’er Mountain area, in addition to the area south of Ithriyah, the eastern and the northeastern countryside of Salamiyah, all of them are witnessing battles of varied pace of violence according to the violence of the advancement attempts and the rebel attacks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has learned that the regime forces supported by their allied militiamen are seeking, through the battles and the successive attacks on these areas, supported by a cover the of Russian raids and the artillery and missile shelling, to disperse the organization and weaken its power by fighting in more than one front at the same time to divide its power and to prevent the organization from sending military reinforcement to the clash areas. The regime forces reduced through the ongoing operations the remaining distance between their forces, coming from al-Kom area and the countryside of al-Raqqa,  which are going to meet the regime forces coming from the north and al-Sukhnah area, and the distance between them has become about 25 kilometers. If the regime forces met each other, the organization would be besieged in an area of 7800 square kilometers, the area controlled by the organization in the provinces of Homs and Hama.

Moreover, the “Islamic State” organization, despite its loss of villages, hills, positions and points in its controlled areas and the fronts in favor of the regime, during last month since the 17th of July 2017, the date the regime forces ended the presence of ISIS in the western part of the southern countryside of al-Raqqa, until the 16th of August 2017, managed to restore villages it lost at the southern banks of the Euphrates River, which is located between the west of Ma’dan and the east of Ghanim al-Ali, after a rebel and violent attack, causing human losses in the ranks of both parties. The clashes in several areas in the countryside of Homs and Hama also caused  an increase in the death toll in the ranks of the regime forces and ISIS, where it rose to more than 700 the number of those who were killed and documented by the SOHR since the 17th of July 2017, the date the regime forces ended the presence of ISIS members in the western part of the southern countryside of al-Raqqa until the 16th of August 2017, where it rose to at least 298, the death toll of members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Iraqi Afghani, and Palestinian nationalities, who were killed during this period in the bombardment, shelling and clashes with members of the organization, including 45 officers of different ranks, and it rose to at least 403, the death toll of members of the “Islamic State” organization, who were killed and documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights during the same period, including local and field leaders, and at least 27 members who blew themselves up with explosive belts and car bombs. The shelling and the battles injured tens of both parties with varying severity.

It worth mentioning that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Saturday the 12th of August 2017 that it learned that the regime forces managed to go deep into the administrative borders of the northeastern countryside of Homs, coming from the southern countryside of al-Raqqa, where the regime forces go deep into a distance of about 15 km and managed to control the villages of Al-Kadeer, Kherbet Makman and nearby wells near Wahat Al-Kom area which is still controlled by the “Islamic State” organization. The regime forces entered the administrative border of Homs coming from al-Raqqa for the first time since the 14th of July 2017, where they managed to control oil wells and fields in the far northeast of Homs. This advancement, which was achieved by the regime forces through their attack from their positions at the triangle area of al-Raqqa – Homs – Deir Ezzor administrative border, allowed the regime forces to reduce the remaining distance in the countryside of Homs between their forces advancing from al-Raqqa – Deir Ezzor administrative border area and their forces stationed in the city of al-Sokhna, which also are trying to achieve significant advancement and control more areas, and if the regime forces managed to advance in the area and control this remaining area and their forces managed  to meet each other, the “Islamic State” organization will be besieged in thousands of kilometers extending from this advancement line to the south of Ithriyah road passing through oil fields and wells, the eastern countryside of Hama to al-Shomariyyeh Mountains area in the northeastern countryside of Homs, and the countryside of Jub al-Jarrah which is about 50 km from the city of Homs.