After the escalation of aerial bombardments, violent clashes in Bokamal desert and ISIS desperately fights to prevent the regime forces from reaching its last stronghold

Clashes continue on the contact areas between the areas controlled by the regime forces and the remaining areas of Deir Ezzor Province that still under the control of the “Islamic State” organization, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in the past 24 hours the escalation of aerial bombardment on the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, particularly the city of al-Bokamal and its desert, where helicopters believed to Russian other unknown helicopters entered the Syrian airspace coming from the eastern side of Syria and targeted the area, also the violent clashes continue between the regime forces supported by the gunmen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against the “Islamic State” organization, in areas in the southwestern desert of Bokamal, where the regime forces are trying to advance and get closer to Bokamal city, by reducing the distance between them and the outskirts of the city, after reaching an area less than 15 km away from the city coming from the Second Station area (the T2), while the Organization is fighting desperately to prevent the regime forces from reaching its last stronghold in Syria.

The violent clash between both parties coincides with artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces on areas controlled by the “Islamic State” organization and its positions and sites between al-Bokamal and the Second Station, amid counterattacks carried out by the Organization in an attempt to keep the regime forces away, and prevent them from reaching the organization’s largest remaining stronghold in Syria, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that al-Bokamal city and other areas in its countryside and desert are witnessing bombing by helicopters believed to be Russian and other unidentified warplanes that entered the Syrian-Iraqi border from the eastern side, and these warplanes heavily targeted areas in Bokamal city, its desert and countryside, which is the largest remaining stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization in the Syrian territory, and these intense airstrikes come after the regime forces were able to get closer to L-Bokamal city, where the regime forces and militiamen loyal of Syrian, Arab and Asian nationalities are now less than 15 km away of Bokamal city, also Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that  the southern desert of Al-Bukamal witness violent clashes, through which the regime forces seek to advance more towards Al-Bukamal city and control the city, which is the largest bastion of ISIS in Syria. The SOHR learned that the violent clashes are taking place between the regime forces and their allied militiamen of Syrian, Arab and Asian nationalities against members of ISIS of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, where the regiem forces managed to advancnce in the area of T2 station and became less than 15 km away from Al-Bukamal city, after controlling Okash field, while the area is witnessing heavy shelling by the regime forces and aerial bombardment by warplanes and helicopters affiliated to the regime and Russia, on areas controlled by ISIS, amid an exchange of shelling between both parties in areas in the southwestern desert of Al-Bukamal, amid more killing of members of both parties in these battles.

The SOHR learned from several reliable sources that a group of the Popular Mobilization Forces has entered the Syrian territory and began to operate under the umbrella of Al-Nujaba’ Iraqi Movement, which has been fighting along the regime forces in many fronts in the Syrian desert and other areas.