The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The regime forces and the “Islamic State” organization are still clashing in a front of 50 km to 300 km away from Homs city for the third day in a row

After 5 days of controlling al-Sukhnah city, the regime forces continue demining operations in the city in order to allow their journalists in

The clashes are still taking place between the regime forces and their allied militiamen against the “Islamic State” organization, where the front, which is extending from an area of about 50 km of Homs city to and area of about 300 km of the city, is still witnessing violent clashes between the regime forces and their allied militiamen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against members of the “Islamic State”, and the SOHR learned that the violent clashes are concentrated today Thursday the 10th of August 2017 in an area located 50 km from Homs city, and the regime forces managed to advance in the area and control al-Salihiya village in the countryside of Jub al-Jerah near the administrative border of Homs province with Hama province.

These clashes comes within the military operations that are still taking place for the third day in a row in the desert of Homs, where the SOHR documented on the evening of Wednesday the violent attack carried out by the “Islamic State” organization in Hamima area in the far eastern countryside of Hama, near the administrative border of the countryside of Homs with Deir Ezzor province, while the SOHR documented on Tuesday that  The “Islamic State” organization targeted by two booby trapped vehicles positions gunmen loyal to the regime of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities in the areas of Palmyra silos and the 3rd Station in the eastern countryside of Homs, where the SOHR documented the death of tens of members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, who were killed in the attacks and the clashes and the car bombs, including officers, and some of their bodies were spread in al-Bukamal city, which the organization controls in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and it also beheaded a members of the regime forces after arresting him in Hamima area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also learned that the regime forces and their allied militiamen are still combing the city of al-Sukhnah, which they have controlled 5 days ago, in order to allow the journalists and TV stations in the city, which the organization has been controlling since May 2015 until the regime controlled it 5 days ago. The death toll of members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen in the eastern countryside of Homs within the last 24 hours of attacks included at least 16 members of them, who were killed in explosions of mines during demining operations in al-Sukhnah city, and the SOHR that the death toll of the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, rose to  48 at least, including 5 officers and a militiaman who was executed. They were killed during the past 24 hours as a result of explosions of landmines, booby trap bombs planted by ISIS in vehicles in the eastern countryside of Homs. The SOHR also documented at least 35 ISIS members, including 5 suicide bombers. In addition, tens of ISIS members and the regime forces were injured in these operations.

It is worth mentioning that the regime forces managed on Saturday, the 5th of August, to make an important and strategic advancement in the Syrian dessert. The regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, managed to take control of Al-Sukhnah city, which was considered the last city under the control of ISIS there. The city fell under their control after intensive and violent artillery and rocket shelling by them and intensive shelling by the Russian and the regime’s warplanes on the city. Reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the regime forces continue inspecting the city looking for any hideouts or any ISIS members in the city which fell under their fire 11 days ago but could not impose their military control over the city on the ground because of tens of ISIS members who still hinder their way as they refuse to surrender or withdraw from the city, despite the mediation of the city and area elders, and insist on continuing to fight till the end. The SOHR also learned that the remaining ISIS members withdrew from the city. The SOHR also documented the death of at least 30 ISIS members during the regime’s advancement operation since the 5th of August, 2017 in addition to the injury of others. The SOHR had also published at the end of July 2017 that the tens of ISIS members remaining in the city continued to refuse withdrawing from Al-Sukhnah city which had been experiencing intensive aerial bombardments by the Russian and the regime’s warplanes targeting the outskirts of the city. Reliable sources confirmed then to the SOHR that most of the remaining ISIS members were from the people of Al-Sukhnah and chose to fight till the end.