New ambush | ISIS kills four regime soldiers on Damascus-Deir Ezzor highway

SOHR activists have reported fierce clashes near Al-Sukhnah city in Homs desert following an ambush by ISIS members targeting vehicles affiliated to regime forces and their proxies on Damascus-Deir Ezzor highway.

 

According to SOHR sources, regime forces called for support to the conflict zones, forcing ISIS members to withdraw after killing four regime soldiers and loyalists and injuring others.

 

This attack coincides with cessation of aerial operations by Russian jets on the Syrian desert for over 48 hours. However, regime jets and helicopters executed nearly ten strikes on ISIS positions in the past 48 hours.

 

On February 15, Observatory activists documented the death of 11 regime soldiers and loyalists, and the wounding of at least ten others in clashes with ISIS members in rural Deir Ezzor and Homs, as six regime soldiers and Al-Quds Brigade militiamen were killed in clashes in Al-Sukhna area in the far east of Homs, while five members of regime forces and “Lions of Tribes” militia were killed in Jabal al-Bashri area, south of Deir Ezzor city.

 

Accordingly, the death toll of regime forces and allied militias since the beginning of February jumps to 41.

 

Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,323 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 733 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.