May 25, 2021
IDLIB, Syria The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said in a recent report that a military convoy affiliated with the Syrian government and allied Iranian militias were ambushed by the Islamic State (IS) on May 18 in the south of al-Mateyah village in the Maskanah desert, east of Aleppo. According to SOHR sources, five four-wheel-drive vehicles of the government’s 25th Division and Iranian militias were attacked while passing through the area. Clashes ensued between IS members and government-affiliated forces, which led to the killing of eight people, including a commander of the Iranian militias.
Between March 24, 2019, and May 18, the UK-based war monitor documented the killing of 1,430 government forces and Syrian and foreign fighters loyal to them, including two Russians at least.
Damascus scrambles for more control in southern Syria al-monitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from al-monitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Syrian Army launched a new combing operation against ISIS cells in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle. The operation is supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces. As of now, clashes between the army and ISIS have resulted in the killing of at least 7 terrorists.
In the second half of 2020, ISIS significantly increased its activity in the central desert. ISIS cells reportedly buy supplies, including weapons, from U.S.-backed fighters based in the area of al-Tanf, as well as exploit the lack of control on the Syrian-Iraqi border to receive support from a network of ISIS cells in Iraq.
Meanwhile, sources loyal to Turkish-backed militants claim that the Syrian Army has started mobilizing its forces in the southern part of Greater Idlib. The army has allegedly deployed new reinforcements to the Jurin camp and the town of Shat’ha. Militants claim that these developments are a part of the preparation for an offensive operation on the al-Ghab Plains.