The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Backed by Russian and regime air support | Clashes continue in several locations in eastern rural Hama between regime forces and ISIS members

Hama Governorate – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored today regime helicopters dropping barrel-bombs on ISIS positions in the area of Ethraya in eastern countryside of Hama.

On the other hand, large areas of the eastern countryside of Hama have been witnessing fierce clashes for about 48 hours, between regime forces and loyalists on the one hand, and the Islamic State on the other, amid intensive airstrikes by the Russian Air Force and regime jets and helicopters.

Russian jets targeted with several airstrikes ISIS positions in al-Badia area in the eastern Hama countryside, while violent clashes took place yesterday between regime forces and the Islamic State members, in the area of Marjib al-Jamlan, Abu Lafeh and Al-Nafalia in the countryside of Al-Rahjan twon in the eastern countryside of Hama.

Moreover, the Syrian Observatory has monitored an attack by Islamic State cells on regime forces’ positions near the village of Al-Shakosiya in Hama eastern countryside. The attack left a number of regime soldiers and loyalists injured.

Military operations are escalating in several areas in the Syrian desert, as ISIS has noticeably stepped up its activities, including ambushes and attacks, targeting positions of regime forces and loyal militias. Meanwhile, regime forces continue their attempts to contain and put an end to ISIS mounting operations by launching large-scale operations, with considerable Russian air support.

The fierce clashes are concentrated in positions in Al-Sukhnah desert in the eastern countryside of Homs, at the administrative border with Deir Ezzor, and other positions in Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle, amid intensive and ongoing airstrikes by Russian jets.

On the other hand, Syrian Observatory activists have documented large number of fatalities in those ongoing clashes and Russian airstrikes since early October, as 63 regime soldiers and loyalists were killed, while ISIS lost 70 members in the same period. The death toll is expected to rise further, as several soldiers and members were injured, some seriously, in addition to unconfirmed reports of more casualties. 

Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 846 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 140 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by the “Islamic State”, west of Euphrates in the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Al-Suwaidaa.

Also, four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds and four other people were killed and documented by attacks by ISIS cells. While 460 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in the same period.