Syrian desert | Russian fighter jets intensify airstrikes on ISIS positions
SOHR sources say that Russian jets continue to fly over the Syrian desert, executing airstrikes on ISIS positions at the Aleppo-Hama-Raqqah triangle. The Syrian Observatory has monitored Russian jets executing more than 20 airstrikes since the early hours of the morning to date.
Meanwhile, regime forces, National Defense, forces of the Russian-backed Fifth Corps and Al-Quds Brigade continue combing the desert between Deir ez-Zor and Homs in order to secure the road between the two provinces.
Two days ago, SOHR sources said that the security campaign launched by Russian-backed forces continued in the deserts of Deir ez-Zor and Homs, where joint forces of “Liwaa Al-Quds” and “5th Corps” as well as the “National Defence Forces” (NDF) continue to comb the area from Kabajib and Al-Shoula, west of Deir ez-Zor to Al-Sukhna, in an attempt to secure the Deir ez-Zor-Homs road.
According to the Syrian Observatory sources, more than nine fighters of these forces were killed in the last few hours, as a result of landmines explosion planted by ISIS in al-Tayba area in Al-Sukhna, eastern Homs countryside, at the administrative border with Deir ez-Zor. Five of whom are of the Palestinian “Liwaa Al-Quds.”
Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,199 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 145 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 SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. While 633 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.