Big advancement for the regime forces southeast of Al-Raqqah draws areas of influence and reduces the percentage of control the ISIS to 10% of the province
The regime forces reach the outskirts of the last city controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in Al-Raqqah Province
The regime forces supported by the loyalist gunmen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities led by Tiger groups headed by the brigadier General in the regime forces Suhail al-Hasan, continue their military operation against the “Islamic State” organization in the eastern countryside of Raqqa, in the area between the al-Bashri Mountain in the southern banks of the Euphrates River, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored advancement of the regime forces and their extending of their controlled areas at the expense of the “Islamic State” organization, in the eastern and southeastern countryside of Al-Raqqah city, after ending the presence of the “Islamic State” organization in the western half of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah, and in the western countryside of Al-Raqqah on the 17th of July 2017.
This advancement for the regime forces and the gunmen loyal to them in the countryside of Al-Raqqah province, have started on the 6th June 2017, the date when the regime forces supported by the Lebanese Hezbollah and led by tiger groups were able to advance and enter the administrative borders of Al-Raqqah, until the regime forces were able to reach and control of the town of Al-Resafa and then control the entire western section of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah, then they advanced east; they advanced in 2 main areas: the first one is towards the southern banks of the Euphrates and the road of Al-Raqqah – Deir Ezzor, of which they managed to reach in Hwyjet Shnan area during the last 48 hours, and the second one was towards the administrative borders of Al-Raqqah Province with the northwestern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the regime forces have become about 9 km away of these border, which is the nearest distance the regime forces reached to Deir Ezzor border from Al-Raqqah area, where this advancement draws the new frontier of influence between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them supported by Russia and between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition, which coincided with a change monitored by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, through the exchange of roles between the Coalition and the Russians, where the forces of International Coalition have halted their raids on the eastern countryside of Raqqa and parts of the northwestern countryside of Deir Ezzor, to be replaced by the Russian warplanes which have carried out tens of air raids targeting villages under the control the “Islamic State” organization in the southern bank of the Euphrates river, which extend from the east of Hwijat Shnan until the border with Deir Ezzor, since the 18th of July 2017, these raids have caused a massive displacement of tens of civilian families who were forced to flee as a result of the intensity of bombing and the constant destruction in the areas, under the pretext of “fighting the Islamic State organization”
Also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored regime forces’ attempt to advance in two areas, both of which are starting from Rajm al-Sleiman farms area; where the first one headed towards the village of Ghanim al-Ali, which will make easy for the regime forces to control 6 villages and farms at least if they force the “Islamic State” organization to withdraw from the area before besieging it completely, and the second area is to go towards Madan city which is the only city remaining fully under the control of the “Islamic State “organization of the all the Raqqah province, which is more than 19616 square kilometers, where the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the US Special Forces and the International Coalition control 67.90% of the geography of Al-Raqqah province, which is more than 13300 square kilometers, while the regime forces control 22.54% of the province which is about 4450 square kilometers, while the “Islamic State” organization still in control of 9.56% of the area of Al-Raqqah province, which is more than 1875 square kilometers, while it used to control it completely in late 2014 and early 2015.
The violent and continuous clashes, aerial bombardment, intensive artillery and explosions between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against members of the “Islamic State” organization, have caused more human losses, where the death toll of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities rose to 91 at least, including 14 officers with different ranks, in addition to the killing of at least 68 members of the organization, also tens of others of both parties were injured.