Syrian Regime Forces, ISIS Clash in Hama

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported violent clashes in the eastern countryside of Hama between regime forces and their proxy militants and ISIS.

The clashes were mainly in the countryside of al-Rahjan, during which four pro-regime militants were killed, in addition to one ISIS member, and a civilian who was shot.

The Observatory said ISIS’ activity has increased throughout the Syrian desert, and the regime forces and affiliated militias are trying to counter their attacks.

The Observatory documented the death of seven members of regime forces and militants, when two land mines exploded in the Jabal al-Amour area, to the west of the al-Sukhnah area in the eastern desert of Homs.

The death toll is expected to increase with more than 18 fighters injured, some critically.

The war monitor has documented 1,419 deaths in the ranks of regime forces and loyalist militants, both Syrian and non-Syrian, from March 24 until this day. They include at least two Russians and 149 non-Syrian militants loyal to Iran, all of whom were killed during ISIS attacks, bombings and ambushes in the region west of the Euphrates, Deir Ezzor desert, Raqqa, Homs, Sweida, Hama and Aleppo.

The Observatory also documented, during the same period, the killing of 937 ISIS militants.

Meanwhile, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a four-day large-scale military and security operation on Sunday, with the aim of pursuing ISIS sleeper and active cells in Deir Ezzor.

“Our forces and the Global Coalition forces to fight ISIS began this morning a large-scale military and security operation in the Wadi Al-Ajij area in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor,” the SDF's media center said in a statement.

The statement explained that the operation also aims to uncover weapons caches and dens used by terrorist members and leaders in the border areas with Iraq.

“The operation also aims to curb the smuggling of weapons and terrorist elements,” the statement added.