Syrian desert | Russian jets execute nearly 30 airstrikes in 12 hours, targeting ISIS positions

SOHR sources have reported that several Russian fighter jets have been striking positions where ISIS fighters holed up throughout the Syrian desert since last night. Meanwhile, regime forces and loyal militias continue combing operations in the deserts of Hama, Homs, Al-Raqqah to the administrative border with Aleppo, searching for ISIS cells.

Yesterday, SOHR sources reported that Russian fighter jets executed about 12 airstrikes, targeting positions of the Islamic State cells in the Sukhna desert, east of Homs, amid successive takeoffs of Russian jets from Hmeimim airbase, heading towards the Syrian desert.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented earlier the death of seven pro-regime militiamen and the wounding of three others in an ISIS attack on these militias’ positions, on Wednesday evening, in the desert of Oqayrabat in the eastern countryside of Hama. This development came in light of the ongoing and increasing activities of the Islamic State in the Syrian desert near Hama, Aleppo, Al-Raqqah triangle.

Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,369 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 149 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by the “Islamic State”, west of Euphrates in the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Al-Suwaidaa.

Also, four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds and four other people were killed and documented by SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. While 861 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.