The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Clashes in several areas in Palmyra Desert and the countryside of Homs

Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: clashes took place between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic factions after midnight of yesterday in the area of the road of Homs – Salamiyah, and information about casualties in the ranks of both party, while a fighter of the Islamic factions was killed during clashes against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in the vicinity of Talbiseh city in the northern countryside of Homs while the violent clashes continue between the gunmen loyal to the regime of Iraqi, Iranian and Asian nationalities against the “Islamic State” organization in the vicinity of the areas of Hmimeh and al-Dli’aat in the eastern and southeastern desert of Palmyra, and information about casualties in the ranks of both parties, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published about three days ago, that the regime forces were able to achieve a wide advancement in the area and regain control of new areas they lost previously in the past months and years, and the regime forces are now controlling the area that extend from the fields of Ark and Palmyra – Sukhnah road until the Syrian-Iraqi border and the south of the T2 Station within the administrative borders of Deir Ezzor province, passing through the 3rd Station and the areas of Hmimeh, al-Dli’aat, al-Sultaniyyeh, the Dam and Valley of Al-Wa’er, to regain the regime forces thereby the control of about 3500 square kilometers of the Syrian desert area within 3 days.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also published on Monday the 26th of June 2017 that the non-Syrian nationality gunmen loyalists to the regime and supported by members of the regime forces managed to achieve an advancement in new areas in the Syrian Desert, and controlled al-Dli’aat area and Hmyma area, enabling them to reduce the size of areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in the Syrian Desert and forcing it to withdraw from several areas under an intense shelling and bombing by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and warplanes, where the clashes caused more casualties in the ranks of both parties, also this advancement enables the regime forces to head towards the T2 Station and control it in the coming days.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also published on the 23rd of June 2017 that al-Nujabaa Movement and militiamen loyal to the regime after they managed to control the areas of al-Wa’er dam, al-Wa’er valley and Ard al-Washwash and several other positions within the areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization, they have managed to enter the administrative border of Deir Ezzor province from its southeastern countryside near the Iraqi border.

This strategic progress allows the regime forces to expand their controlled areas on the Syrian-Iraqi border, where they controlled about 85 kilometers at the border, and they are about 12 km from the ” T2 ” station in the south-east of Deir Ezzor. This progress is a part of the regime forces’ efforts to force the “Islamic State” organization to withdraw from the largest area of the desert and the Syrian territory, which extends from Sabkhat Jabboul in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo, passing through the eastern countryside of Hama and the southern and southwestern countryside of al-Raqqa to al-Sukhnah and its desert and the Syrian desert. This progress comes two weeks after the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of non-Syrian nationalities managed to reach the Iraqi border from the eastern desert of Palmyra.

cross sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the operation of advancement was carried out by the loyalist gunmen of the regime of non-Syrian nationalities and the regime forces who are positioned in the Syrian desert east and southeast of Palmyra city, by turning around a camp of the factions supported by the International Coalition in the area, located about 20 kilometers from the camp which is located about 50 kilometers to the east of al-Tanf border crossing, which is controlled by these factions.

The advancement process from the Syrian Desert to the Syrian-Iraqi border within the administrative borders of Homs province came after several attempts by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan, Iranian and Lebanese nationalities to advance towards the Syria-Iraq border, but they were alerted and repelled by the International Coalition, which targeted columns of regime forces by airstrikes, which destroyed it and killed at least 40 of their members, and also injuring tens of others.