The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The regime forces continue their shelling on ISIS controlled areas in Rif Dimashq along with the ongoing violent fighting between the both parties

Rif Dimashq Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued military operations between the regime forces backed by armed militiamen loyal to them against the members of the “Islamic State” organization, in places in the vicinity of Tlul Al-Safa area and other areas in the desert of Rif Dimashq, at a distance of about 50 km away from the controlled areas of the International Coalition and factions backed by the US and western countries, where the clashes are coincided with intensive shelling by the regime forces in an attempt to take the control of the area, amid exchange of targeting in the clash areas, and information about confirmed human losses in the ranks of the both parties, also, the SOHR learned that the regime forces and armed militiamen loyal to them are continuing to sweep the areas over which they imposed their control in Al-Suwaidaa province, in search for sleeper cells of the organization or members hiding in the area.

And the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that it monitored the regime forces achieving a strategic advancement, by completely controlling over what remained of the east and northeast of al-Suwaidaa, after an escalated military operation since the 5th of August 2018, which was started as a result of an attack by the “Islamic State” Organization in the countryside of al-Suwaidaa on the 25th of July 2018, and killed about 260 local civilians and armed men, and this advancement and control operation came after a violent attack by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, I which enabled them first to control hills and heights in the area, which expanded their ability to monitor wider areas of the Syrian Desert, also with the help of the intense shelling that targeted al-Suwaidaa desert and the organization’s sites, they achieved more advancement and rapidly controlled more areas, until today, Sunday, the 12th of August, where they were able to control al-Suwaidaa Province completely, to be the 5th province completely under the control of the regime forces, after Tartous, Damascus, Daraa, and Quneitra.

In the same context, fears for the life of the abductees increase among their relatives and al-Suwaidaa people, after failing so far to release about 30 abductees and after executing a young man and the death of a woman of the abductees in mysterious circumstances, where their fate is now unknown and there is no information about where they have been taken to by the organization, which was forced to withdraw to Rif Dimashq, to confine itself between areas of presence of the International Coalition and its supporting factions and between al-Suwaidaa Province, while the regime forces continue their operation towards Rif Dimashq, amid renewed targeting operations for the area, and the clashes have caused casualties and injuries in the ranks of both parties, where the Syrian Observatory has so far documented during the military operation in al-Suwaidaa the death of at least 14 of the regime forces during the last week, and more than 30 members of the Organization who have been killed since the 5th of August 2018, also this advancement operation followed the arrival of military reinforcements of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them to the countryside of al-Suwaidaa, it also came with the framework of the regime forces to end the existence of the organization in al-Suwaidaa Province, and to fully control the 5th Syrian province after controlling 4 other provinces, also the concerns increased among families of the Al-Suwaidaa abductees of a reaction by the “Islamic State” organization, in regard with what happened today morning, Tuesday the 7th of August 2018, where gunmen loyal to the regime forces has executed a member of the organization after capturing him alive then they hung him in a square in Al-Suwaidaa city, hanged him and put the banner of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, while it is noteworthy that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 258 people at least, they are 142 civilians including 38 women and children, and 116 gunmen most of them are of the people of the countryside of Al-Suwaidaa province, who took up arms to repel the violent and surprising attack of the organization, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 63 ISIS members including 7 suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the city and in its countryside, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also monitored that Pro-regime gunmen hanging up a member of the organization, local sources said that he was detained during the arrival of his body in a hospital in Al-Suwaidaa city, where he was executed and his body was hanged up in the city, amid a crowd of tens of citizens in the area.