The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Syrian desert | Russian fighter jets execute intensive airstrikes on caves and positions of ISIS

SOHR sources say that Russian jets have started a new round of airstrikes on ISIS positions in the Syrian desert, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored Russian fighter jets executing intensive airstrikes since the early hours of the morning, targeting the desert of Al-Sukhna in eastern countryside of Homs, and at the administrative border between Homs and Deir ez-Zor, and other areas in the Aleppo-Hama-Raqqa triangle, in which caves believed to belong to ISIS were targeted, amid confirmed reports of casualties, as well as significant damage to ISIS caves.

On April 8, combing operations by regime forces, the “National Defence Forces” (NDF), and the Russian-backed Palestinian militia of “Liwaa Al-Quds” continued in several areas in Al-Mayadeen desert in west Euphrates region, as apart of the recent campaign launched by these forces nearly a week ago with the aim of searching for ISIS cells prevalent in the region. It is worth noting that ISIS cells carried out a surprise attack yesterday in Al-Mayadeen desert, leaving several casualties among regime forces.

The campaign also coincides with intensive airstrikes by Russian fighter jets, as SOHR sources have documented tens of Russian airstrikes on positions in Al-Mayadeen desert and Aleppo-Al-Raqqah- Hama triangle since morning.

On April 7, SOHR sources monitored a new surprise attack by ISIS in the early hours of Wednesday morning, targeting regime positions in al-Banja area in al-Mayadeen desert, east of Deir Ezzor. Clashes took place between the two sides, in which machine guns and RPGs were used, before the organization pulled back into the desert.