Russian airstrikes in 2022 | Nearly 4,000 airstrikes kill and injure 414 ISIS members in Syrian desert
In 2022, the number of anti-ISIS airstrikes by Russians decreased to one-third compared to 2021 due to Russian preoccupation with war on Ukraine
In 2022, Russian forces escalated their aerial operations on positions of ISIS which is active and present in numerous large spaces of the Syrian desert, targeting ISIS caves, hideouts, and bunkers.
Meanwhile, the Russian airstrikes on ISIS caves, hideouts, and bunkers were concentrated in Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle, east Homs desert and the deserts of Deir Ezzor and Al-Raqqah.
SOHR documented over 3,935 airstrikes by Russian fighter jets in 2022, which killed 159 ISIS members and injured 255 other members. Here is the monthly distribution of these airstrikes and the fatalities they left:
January: Over 650 airstrikes left 31 members dead and 45 others injured.
February: Over 900 airstrikes left 38 members dead and 59 others injured.
March: Over 270 airstrikes left nine members dead and 17 others injured.
April: Over 550 airstrikes left 26 members dead and 21 others injured.
May: Over 370 airstrikes left eight members dead and 13 others injured.
June: Over 295 airstrikes left 19 members dead and 22 others injured.
July: Over 200 airstrikes left five members dead and 13 others injured.
August: Over 155 airstrikes left four members dead and nine others injured.
September: Over 190 airstrikes left five members dead and 18 others injured.
October: Over 145 airstrikes left four members dead and 13 others injured.
November: Over 90 airstrikes left three members dead and five others injured.
December: Over 120 airstrikes left seven members dead and 20 others injured.
Thousands of ISIS members hide in different parts of the Syrian desert, carrying out surprise attacks and operations against regime forces, their proxy militants and Iranian-backed militias, especially during the combing operations carried out by regime forces and their militias in search of ISIS cells, amid ongoing clashes, mine detonations and attacks there.
In 2021, SOHR documented over 12,230 airstrikes by Russian fighter jets, which killed 401 ISIS members and injured 331 other members. In 2022, the number of Russian airstrikes has declined dramatically and significantly as Russians are preoccupied with their war on Ukraine.