As the Syrian desert is witnessing an escalation of aerial operations by Russian jets over the past few days, in contrast to March, SOHR monitored more than 20 airstrikes carried out by Russian fighter jets during the past hours, targeting ISIS hideouts in Al-Rasafa desert in Al-Raqqah province and the eastern Homs desert.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the number of airstrikes executed by Russian fighter jets on the Syrian desert since early April has risen to 172.

Yesterday, SOHR reported that military reinforcement of regime forces and their proxy militias arrived in Al-Rasafa desert in Al-Raqqah province and Al-Sukhnah desert in the eastern countryside of Homs, near the administrative border with Deir ez-Zor. The arrival of this batch of reinforcement came in preparations for starting a new combing campaign in the desert to search for ISIS members and cells who are prevalent in the Syrian desert.

Meanwhile, Russian fighter jets executed 22 airstrikes on Al-Rasafa desert in Al-Raqqah province, targeting caves and bunkers believed to be ISIS hideouts, amid reports of casualties, according to the observatory.

SOHR stated that, on Tuesday, Russian fighter jets executed over 40 airstrikes on the Syrian desert in Al-Rasafa desert, Al-Sukhnah, and Deir Ezzor. This was the largest number of airstrikes in a single round in nearly a month.