The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The clashes continue in the besieged circle within 3 provinces between the regime forces and their allies against ISIS

The regime forces backed by their allies of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities are continuing their attacks on the positions of the “Islamic State” organization in the besieged circle stretched in the southern countryside of Aleppo, the south-eastern countryside of Idlib and the north-eastern countryside of Hama, where the violent clashes are still continuing between the both parties, accompanied by aerial and artillery shelling on the organization’s positions, and the regime forces are seeking to continue their advancement and control more areas at the expense of the organization, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that violent clashes took place again between the regime forces backed by their allied militiamen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against ISIS in areas in the besieged pocket of ISIS, extending from the southern countryside of Aleppo, the northeastern countryside of Hama and the southeastern countryside of Idlib, within the ongoing attack by the regime forces taking place since the 3rd of February to achieve more advancement in the area, control more areas and end the presence of ISIS in the area, where the regime forces managed to advance in 25 village, hills and areas, which made recently the organization lose more village used to be under its control.

 

The SOHR published yesterday that the regime forces managed to advance in the area and 10 villages and farms in the north-eastern countryside of Hama and the south-eastern countryside of Idlib, and the clashes were accompanied by exchange artillery and rocket shelling and intensive shelling by the regime forces on ISIS controlled areas, coincided with intensive raids and bombardment by the warplanes and helicopters, and with this advancement the regime forces regained the control of 19 villages and areas until now, used to be controlled by the organization. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the regime forces managed during their attack in the north-eastern countryside of Hama, to advance with their allies and take the control of two new villages, after the bombardment which targeted the area today morning, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Sunday that the bombardment concentrated today Sunday the 4th of February 2018, on ISIS-held areas in the south-eastern countryside of Idlib and the north-eastern countryside of Hama, as the warplanes and helicopters carried out a series of intensive strikes today morning Sunday the 4th of February 2018, through which they targeted the vicinity of Tal Halawah, Hawayiz, Qasr Ibn Wardan, and other positions controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in the south-eastern countryside of Idlib and the north-eastern countryside of Hama, and no information about casualties was reported yet, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Saturday that the violent clashes renewed in areas in the north-eastern countryside of Hama, between the members of the “Islamic State” organization against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, in a new attack by the latter on the positions of the former, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the regime forces managed to achieve new advancement in the area, and take the control of 4 villages and hills surrounding these villages, these clashes are accompanied by shelling and exchange of targeting between the both parties, and with this new advancement by the regime forces, the number of the villages which the regime forces have controlled at the expense of the organization has increased to 7 villages since last Thursday and until now.

 

It is noteworthy that ISIS used to control at least 79 villages in the countryside of three adjacent provinces, Idlib, Aleppo and Hama, which bring back ISIS to the province, it lost its full control of them on the 30th of June 2017, where they managed to control several villages in the province of Aleppo, and thus its presence returned in the 3 province, which are Idlib, of which it was expelled to about 4 years, Hama province, which its presence was ended in the third part 2017, and Aleppo province, of which it was expelled at the mid of 2017, within 4 consecutive months, since the beginning of October 2017.