Russian Warplanes Launch Heavy Strikes on ISIS as Syrian Troops Intensify Offensive

The Syrian Army continued their offensive in central Syria on Tuesday, targeting areas thought to contain members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the governorates of Homs, Hama, and Raqqa.

Backed by the Palestinian-led Jerusalem Brigade (Liwaa Al-Quds), the Syrian Army combed through several parts of the Badiya Al-Sham region, in a bid to eliminate the ISIS cells that have wreaked havoc in central Syria for the last two years.

Meanwhile, from the air, the Russian Aerospace Forces unleashed a number of strikes on ISIS positions in Homs and Hama, forcing the terrorist group to disperse from their hideouts and fight in the open against the Syrian Army.

According to reports from central Syria, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched several strikes near the desert town of Al-Sukhnah, which was once an ISIS stronghold east of the ancient city of Palmyra.

ISIS previously occupied most of the Syrian desert region between Hama, Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor, and Homs; however, following the entry of the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Conflict, the terrorist group suffered significant losses in these areas, which forced to ultimately take refuge in the caves of the Badiya Al-Sham region.

In 2020, ISIS spread its operations to the eastern countryside of the Hama Governorate, which is one of the last areas that was under their control in central Syria.

ISIS has since increased their operations in the Al-Sa’an District of Hama, an area that was previously ISIS-free for nearly two years.