The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Tiger Forces have been further capitalizing from the airdrop operation conducted behind ISIS defense lines in the Homs-Palmyra countryside.
On Monday, the Tiger Forces liberated the villages of Bukhayran, Ariqah and Othmaniyah and then the entire Kawm oasis located on the road between Resafa and Sukhna. On Tuesday, government troops continued developing momentum in the directions of Bir Hisayyah and Taybah.
Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters provide a close air support to the advancing government troops. According to local sources, Russian military advisers are involved in the operation.
If the Tiger Forces capture any of the aforementioned villages, they will be able to threaten all ISIS supply lines in the area. This will decrease the ISIS defense capabilities in Uqayribat in the eastern Hama countryside.
The Syrian military is very close to putting ISIS units north of the Homs-Palmyra highway in a no-win situation. In coming days, ISIS will counter-attack in order to slow down the Tiger Forces advance and to prevent encirclement of its forces. If terrorists are not able to achieve their goal, it may lead to a full collapse of the ISIS defense in the area.
In eastern Damascus, government forces continued pressuring Faylaq al-Rahman and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Jobar and Any Tarma. Since the resumption of the operation in these areas, the SAA has made some tactical gains, but the situation remains complicated. Many will depend on the ability of militant groups operating in Eastern Ghouta to cooperate against government forces.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have faced troubles inside the city of Raqqah where the SDF is clashing with ISIS. Since Saturday, ISIS has conducted multiple counter-attacks in the eastern, western and southern parts of the city using VBIEDs, snipers and grenade launchers. According to AMAQ, about 50 SDF members have been killed in the recent attacks. However, this number sounds overestimated.
The delay in the battle of Raqqah plays in to the hands of the Syrian military that seeks to liberate central Syria and to reach Deir Ezzor before the US-backed force.
Nationwide map of Syria – August 15, 2017
BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:55 P.M.) – With the arrival of mid-August it is clear that the year-long strategic trend of endless ISIS defeats on the battlefield and rapid territorial retraction continues to remain in full-effect.
In eastern Syria, three massive Syrian Arab Army (SAA) fronts – backed up by allied paramilitary groups – continue to close in on the strategic city of Deir Ezzor from the north, west and south. Whilst the elite Tiger Forces are now within striking distance of Ma’adan town (the last ISIS stronghold in southern Raqqa Governorate), the 5th Assault Corps have liberated al-Sukhnah town (the last ISIS stronghold in eastern Homs Governorate).
In the city of Raqqa itself, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have captured from ISIS more than 50 percent of the main urban center area and continue to squeeze jihadist fighters into an ever shrinking zone that covers the central and northern suburbs of the city.
Throughout rebel-held Syria the fronts have been relatively quiet with the exception of eastern Damascus where the SAA is engaged in a high-pitched battle against Islamist militants and in the Afrin region where Turkey-led rebels and the Kurdish-led forces are exchanging raids and artillery fire on an almost daily basis. There are also reports that Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham plans to carry out a new offensive operation against pro-government forces in northern Hama Governorate.
Lastly, it appears that the SAA and Hezbollah plan to launch an offensive against the last ISIS bastion which is anchored along the mountainous Syrian-Lebanese border region.
Click here to see a HD version of the map above.
Click here to see an interactive map of Syria and Iraq.
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