130 casualties at least in the ranks of the regime forces and ISIS as a result of the intensive raids and violent clashes yesterday in the eastern countryside of Hama
Hama province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the eastern countryside of Hama is still witnessing continuation of violent clashes between the regime forces supported by gunmen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities and the Russian forces on one hand, and the members of “Islamic State” organization on the other, in areas in the countryside of Salamiyah city, amid intensive raids carried by warplanes targeting areas controlled by the organization and the clash areas in the eastern countryside of Salamiyah city, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of more than 100 members of ISIS during the clashes taking place since the dawn of Saturday the 2nd of September 2017, in addition to injury of tens others with varying degrees of severity, the SOHR also documented the death of 30 members at least of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, and the number of casualties is likely to increase because of the presence of injuries in serious cases.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the clashes were concentrated in Uqayribat Township, where the regime forces managed to achieve advancement and regain control over great parts of Uqayribat town, where ISIS carried out a violent counter attack, today morning the 2nd of September 2017, trying to take the control of the town, but the regime forces managed to regain places which the organization advanced in, and it withdrew to the western outskirts of Uqayribat town, and the regime forces also took the control of a village east of Salamiyah city.
And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that more bombings rocked the eastern countryside of Hama with the continued clashes between the regime forces backed by the Russian forces and their allied militiamen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against members of ISIS and the SOHR learned that the explosions were caused by car bombs by ISIS, which allowed them to advance and retake control over two villages after they controlled the western part of Akirabat town, which is the main stronghold of ISIS in Hama province, of which 20 villages still under the control of ISIS, by an area of about tens of kilometers, while the warplanes carried out heavy airstrikes on areas controlled by ISIS in the eastern countryside of Hama and on the clash areas between both parties, the SOHR published earlier that the regime forces attempted to launch their attack from the east of Uqayribat through several areas following their failed attempts to advance through salamiyah city towards the west of Uqayribat. Such decision enabled the regime forces to advance into the areas and expand their scope of control. It also got them closer to strategic villages, including Soha village which is hundreds of meters away from Uqayribat town, by advancing into areas adjacent to the administrative border between Hama and Homs. The SOHR documented the death of about 40 civilians, including 7 children and 7 women, as a result of the intensive airstrikes and missile strikes carried out during the past 10 days on ISIS-controlled villages in the eastern countryside of Hama. It should be noted that around 5 thousand civilians are still trapped in those villages in the circle besieged by the regime forces and their allied militiamen. Raids also caused the injury of about 100 civilians, with varied degrees of severity. Thus, the death toll is still likely to rise especially amid such significant shortage in the medical capabilities necessary for the critical conditions and serious injuries, about 5 thousand civilians are still trapped in this besieged area, namely the villages of the eastern countryside of Hama and the area linked to it in the eastern countryside of Homs. Tragically, they are experiencing a significant shortage of food and medicine and lack of hospitals, medical care and specialized doctors for the critical conditions. Local sources called upon International Organizations, through the SOHR, to put pressure on all actors to secure a safe passage for thousands of civilians – children, men, elderly, and women – to areas beyond the control of ISIS. Local sources confirmed to the SOHR that hundreds of families were transferred to areas near Ithriyah-Salamiyah road in order to move them to areas under the control of the factions and Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham. Contact was lost with tens of civilians while fleeing ISIS-controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Hama.