Campaign of securing Deir Ezzor-Homs road | Russian jets continue striking Al-Shawla desert, amid ongoing combing campaigns

Syrian Observatory activists have documented over 24 airstrikes by Russian fighter jets on ISIS positions in Al-Shawla desert in the south of Deir Ezzor. These airstrikes coincide with ongoing combing campaigns by regime forces and Russian-backed militias, mainly the 5^th Division and the Palestinian “Liwaa Al-Quds”, searching for ISIS cells in the region as a part of the security campaign of Deir Ezzor-Homs road.

 

SOHR sources reported earlier this morning that Russian fighter jets continued striking ISIS positions in east Homs desert which experienced renewed clashes between ISIS on one hand, and Russian-backed militias, regime forces and loyalists on the other. The clashes were concentrated on the frontlines of Al-Sukhnah desert near the administrative border between Homs and Deir Ezzor.

 

In the past few hours, SOHR activists documented the death of seven members of regime forces and Russian-backed militias due to the fierce clashes and attack by ISIS on their vehicles, while ISIS lost 11 members in the same clashes and Russian airstrikes.

 

As Russian jets continued their operations in the Syrian desert, the number of Russian airstrikes on ISIS positions in Homs, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle in the past few days have risen to 200.

 

Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,242 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 674 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.