Over the weekend, a massive convoy of soldiers from the Syrian Armed Forces traveled to the Hama-Raqqa border in order to take part in the upcoming offensive to liberate Raqqa City from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

According to an Al-Masdar field correspondent in Damascus, over 1,500 soldiers, mostly from the Desert Hawks and Syrian Marines, departed for the Hama-Raqqa countryside this weekend after the Syrian Arab Army’s High Command and their Russian military advisers issued orders to liberate Raqqa City.

The entire force is comprised of approximately 4,800-5,000 soldiers from the Syrian Marines, Desert Hawks Brigade, Golani Regiment, 550th Regiment of the 4th Mechanized Division, and Al-Ba’ath Battalions.

Due to several setbacks in the months of April and May, the Syrian Armed Forces are no longer inside the western countryside of the Al-Raqqa Governorate.

Instead, the large pro-government force can be seen at the imperative desert town of Ithriya, where they have already made the necessary preparations to strike the Islamic State terrorists.

This latest government offensive is expected to begin in the coming weeks, as more soldiers pour into the east Hama countryside in order to participate in this major assault.