The fighting escalates in an area extending between the Provinces of Deir Ezzor, Al-Raqqah, Homs and Hama and the regime forces seek to put an end to ISIS presence in the last 3 Provinces

Military Operations continue to take place in the Syrian dessert that extends from inside the administrative border of Deir Ezzor to the eastern countryside of Hama through Al-Raqqah countryside and the eastern dessert of Homs, in an attempt by the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, to minimize ISIS scope of control, take a step ahead of it and put an end to its presence in the provinces of Homs, Hama and Al-Raqqah. The SOHR observed during the past 48 hours violent battles that took place in the eastern countryside of Hama and the eastern countryside of Homs in conjunction with the ongoing fighting in areas near the southern banks of the Euphrates in the eastern countryside of Al-Raqqah. The western countryside of Deir Ezzor also witnessed intensive and violent shelling by the regime forces and warplanes, leaving more casualties, the number of whom increased significantly as a result of the escalated hostilities, bombings and shelling.

The SOHR documented since the 17th of July 2017, the date in which the regime forces ended ISIS presence in the western part of the southern countryside of Al-Raqqah, till today, the 4th of August 2017, the fall of more casualties in the ranks of both the regime forces and ISIS. On one hand, the number of fatalities among members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, Liwa Al-Quds and Al-Jalil Forces rose to at least 181, including 27 officers, with different ranks, who were killed as a result of bombings, shelling and clashes with ISIS. On the other hand, the number of ISIS members, including local and field commanders, whose death was documented by the SOHR over the same period of time, rose to at least 233. Battles also caused the fall of tens of others inured among both parties.

It is worth mentioning that the regime forces have only managed so far to advance into areas in the eastern countryside of Hama and near Al-Resafa-Ithriyah road after losing other areas in Salamiyah city countryside and in the vicinity of Al-Shomriya Mountains. However, they managed to regain control over some of these locations and to advance towards the walls of Al-Sukhnah city which fell under their fire and thus managed to control parts of it. In addition, they managed to take control of most of the eastern countryside except for the area located at the southern banks of the Euphrates, extending from Ghanem Al-Ali area to the western administrative border of Deir Ezzor Province, which include Ma’dan town and nearby villages along with an area in the vicinity of the Strategic Mountain of Al-Bashri. The regime forces were also able to move deeper into the western countryside of Deir Ezzor Province and to make an advancement that reduced the distance separating them from Deir Ezzor, which has been besieged by ISIS since the beginning of 2015. ISIS first besieged the regime-controlled areas then and later tightened that siege on them at the beginning of 2017. The regime forces aim to advance and move deeper into the western countryside of Deir Ezzor to turnaround the mountain highlands and Al-Bashari Mountain, which is a strategic one that would enable the regime forces, in case they took control of it and positioned themselves on top of it, to control and have within shooting range many villages and vast areas of the western countryside of Deir Ezzor and its stretches towards Al-Sukhna area and the eastern dessert of Homs.