ISIS resurgence | After killing 25 regime soldiers and loyalists killed in the Syrian desert, intensive Russian airstrikes renewed
On June 6, 2021
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists have documented renewal of intensive air strikes by the Russian warfighters in Sunday morning, targeting ISIS hotbeds in the Syrian deserts.
The Russian war planes have conducted 40 air raids in the early morning targeting Athria in eastern Hama countryside, and the desert of al-Rasafah in Raqqa countryside, and around Boshra mountain at the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor and other frontlines in the far desert of eastern Homs near Deir Ezzor.
The Russian strikes aimed at controlling the situation and limiting ISIS activities after the Islamic factions had carried out large operation during the past hours, that left tens of killed and wounded in lines of the regime forces and the proxy militia from Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities either in attacks, bombardment or checkpoints.
SOHR activists documented the death of 23 regime soldiers in different areas of the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours in ambushes and explosions of landmines planted by ISIS cells which are prevalent in east Homs desert and the deserts of Hama, al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor. The regime’s fatalities included an officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and his escort who was Iranian, as unknown gunmen opened fire on them while they were traveling on the road between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor in central Syria.
These attacks were carried out, although Russian fighter jets executed nearly 24 airstrikes on the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours, as well as the daily combing operations by regime forces and loyal militias.
SOHR sources have just reported that an old landmine planted earlier by ISIS exploded in a group of regime soldiers, during combing operations in Wadi Abyad in al-Sukhnah desert in the east of Homs. The explosion killed three regime soldiers and injured two others. Meanwhile, regime forces continued combing operations in the Syrian desert on a daily basis, searching for ISIS members. It is worth noting that ISIS members planted mines and changed their positions throughout the desert.
On Friday, reliable sources reported that ISIS members attacked positions and posts of regime forces and their proxies in Faydat Ibn Muwani’ in al-Mayadeen desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where clashes erupted between the two sides. Meanwhile, regime forces fired several rockets in an attempt to foil the attack which left five regime soldiers and loyalists dead. ISIS also lost two members in these clashes.
On the other hand, SOHR activists have documented the death of seven regime soldiers and loyalists, including a brigadier general in a surprise attack by ISIS members in al-Sukhnah desert in the eastern countryside of Homs, near the administrative border with Deir Ezzor. Also, three ISIS members were killed in the attack.
This development coincided with ISIS escalating operations in the Syrian desert, despite the intensive airstrikes by Russian fighter jets.
Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,458 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 152 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 and tens of shepherds and other civilians, including children and women, 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 968 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.