The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Two families drown fleeing the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah due to the intensive bombing by the Russians and the regime forces

Al-Raqqah Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Russian and the regime’s warplanes and the regime forces’ canons and launchers continue to target the only part remaining under the control of ISIS at the southern banks of the Euphrates in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah. Warplanes continued to shell Ma’dan city, which is considered the last city under the control of ISIS in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah, along with other areas in villages that are still under its control near Ma’dan city at the southern banks of the Euphrates. Strikes were accompanied by artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces, causing huge destruction in the infrastructure and in the houses and shops of the civilians. Fighting also continues between the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, and the tribal forces, who have been trained and armed by the Russians, on one hand and ISIS on the other in the vicinity of Al-Jaber village and in other areas at the contact lines.

This intensive violent aerial and land shelling continued to force civilians remaining in ISIS-controlled areas to flee to the SDF-controlled northern banks of the Euphrates. The SOHR documented during the past 48 hours, the drowning of 10 civilians, belonging to two families, who used to reside in Ma’dan area. Reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the two families – specifically, a woman and two of her children who were displaced from Al-Jorah neighborhood in Deir Ezzor city to Ma’dan city along with a man, his wife and child and his sister-in-law and three of her children, one of whom is still an infant, from Ma’dan city- drowned in the Euphrates while attempting to flee the city to the northern banks of the Euphrates.

The SOHR published on Saturday, the 5th of August, that the regime forces managed to take control of a number of villages and residential complexes located between Ghanim Al-Ali town and Ma’dan city. They are only 4 km away from the walls of Ma’dan city, which is considered the last city under the control of ISIS in Al-Raqqah Province. Such an important advancement came as a result of the intensive violent rocket and artillery shelling by the regime forces and the raids carried out by the Russian and the regime’ warplanes, leaving hundreds of houses, shops, buildings, utilities and infrastructure destroyed and causing the displacement of thousands of people to SDF-controlled areas and areas at the northern banks of the Euphrates. In case the regime forces managed to take control of Ma’dan city and the three villages that are still under the control of ISIS, they would put an end to ISIS presence in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah. Thus, ISIS would have less than half of the area of Al-Raqqah city under its control, where violent clashes take place between the SDF backed by the International Coalition Warplanes and the US Special Forces on one hand and ISIS on the other. The SOHR had documented the death of at least 18 ISIS members and the injury of others as a result of the intensive aerial and land shelling. Casualties were also reported among the regime forces and their allied militiamen.

The SOHR also published last Friday that this new attack launched by the regime forces is an attempt to put an end to the presence of the “Islamic State” organization in the section remaining under its control at southern banks of the Euphrates River, in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah, after they managed to achieve an important advancement and take the control of a number of villages in addition to their control on Ghanim al-Ali town, during the last week, supported by a cover of intensive bombing and artillery and missile shelling on remainder areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah, resulting in a wide movement of displacement of hundreds of families towards areas controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces and the northern banks of the Euphrates River. This followed their successful attempt during the last week to take control of several villages along with Ghanim Al-Ali town under the cover of intensive aerial, artillery and rocket shelling on the remaining ISIS-controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah. This caused the displacement of hundreds of families to SDF-controlled areas and to the northern banks of the Euphrates. The regime forces also managed on the 6th of June 2017, backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah and led by Tiger Groups, to advance into the administrative border of Al-Raqqah until they reached and took control of Al-Resafa town. Thus, they took full control of the western part of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah and started to move deeper towards the east, specifically to two main areas, one of which is towards the southern banks of the Euphrates in order to reduce the 4 km separating them from east of Ma’dan.