The regime forces and Hezbollah are still advancing in the barrens of Qalamoun on the Lebanese – Syrian border
Rif Dimashq province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:: the violent clashes are still taking place between members of the “Islamic State” organization against members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen and the Lebanese Hezbollah in areas in the barrens of the western Qalamoun near the Syrian – Lebanese border. The SOHR learned that the regime forces, backed by Hezbollah and covered by heavy artillery and missile shelling, managed to advance and control the crossing of Ras Shahout and other hills used to be controlled by the organization.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hors ago that that the regime forces continued fighting for the fifth day in a row in an attempt to put an end to ISIS presence at the Syrian-Lebanese border and regain full control over it except for several kilometers opposite to Shebaa area, from the side of the southwestern part of Rif Dimashq. Violent clashes are accompanied by intensive violent shelling by the regime forces on areas of clashes and on ISIS-controlled areas in the barren mountains of Qara and Al-Jarajir, amid raids executed by warplanes on the same areas.
The SOHR also published the day before yesterday that the regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah managed to advance more as they took control during the past three days of tens of square kilometers of an area of around 120 km2 under the control of ISIS there. The SOHR also published the day before yesterday that the regime forces backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah managed to advance again into tens of square kilometers out of a total area of 120 square kilometers under the control of ISIS. They successfully managed to take control of She’bet Al-Sabwa, Zaleel Khemam, She’bet Bayt Abu Ali, She’ab Al-Haditha, Wadi Al-Nejas, Jab Kawla, Shmees Plateau and other areas, which used to be under the control of ISIS before the regime forces launched its attack five day ago. The SOHR also published on Tuesday that clashes are accompanied by intensive shelling by the regime forces on areas of clashes, amid bombings by drones deployed by members of Hezbollah to hit the positions and fortifications of ISIS. Warplanes also carried out several raids on the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun. The new areas, the control over which was wrested by Hezbollah and the regime forces, include Qarnat She’bet Akku, Qarnat Ajloun, Wadi Al-Shahout, She’bet Al-Dawab, Al-Qsirah and Tem El-Mal and other areas in the barren mountains of Qalamoun near the border with the Lebanon. The SOHR also published on Sunday that areas in the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun were witnessing continued fighting for two days in a row between the regime forces, their allied militiamen and the Lebanese Hezbollah on one hand and ISIS on the other. Clashes came as a result of the former’s continued attacks on about 120 square kilometers under the control of the organization shortly before the start of this attack on Saturday, the 20th of August 2017. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the regime forces were able to advance into more locations, hills and heights, which were controlled by the organization, including Qarnat Madd Mahbas, Shuaibet Al-Zwaytineh, Qarnat She’bet Al-Qadi, Sen Meeri, Watiyat Al-Zamrani, Kherbat Qar Ali and other areas in the Western Qalamoun. The SOHR had also published on Saturday, the 19th of August, that shelling continued between the regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah on one hand, and the members of the “Islamic State” organization on the other, on areas in the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun, at the Syrian-Lebanese border. Clashes started as a result of an attack by the regime forces and Hezbollah on the area, in an attempt to end the presence of the “Islamic State” organization there. The SOHR observed that Hezbollah and the regime forces managed to advance into large number of points, hills and positions which used by under the control of the organization, regaining control over tens of square kilometers out of about 120 square kilometers, which were controlled by the organization before the attack started. Clashes were accompanied by intensive missile and artillery shelling by the regime forces on areas of clashes. Clashes left dead and injured at both sides. The areas over which the regime forces managed to regain control include Al-Zamrani Crossing and heights in the barren mountains of Bureij, the barren mountains Al-Jarajir, the barren mountains of Qara, and the heights of Fikha and its Crossing.