The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Russian fighter jets have carried out more than 30 airstrikes, targeting ISIS hideouts and hotbeds in Al-Sokhnah and Palmyra deserts, east of Homs.

These airstrikes come in light of a significant decline in military operations carried out by Russia in the Syrian desert.

On March 30, SOHR published a report on Russian military operations in Syria as the Russian forces completed their 78th month of military operations in Syria along with the Syrian regime.

In the 78th month of Russia’s military operations in Syria, SOHR documented the killing of nine ISIS members and the injury of 17 others in over 270 Russian airstrikes on their positions in the Syrian desert in March.

Between the 30th of September 2015 and the 30th of March 2022, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 21,025 persons distributed as follows:

• 8,683 civilians: 2,108 children under the age of eighteen, 1,321 females over the age of eighteen, 5,254 men and young people

• 6,117 ISIS members 
• 6,225 fighters of rebel and Islamist Factions, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic Turkestani Party, and fighters of Arab and foreign nationalities.

SOHR sources have reported that Russia used the “Thermite” in their airstrikes, a substance composed of aluminium powder and iron oxide which causes burns because it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds. Some bombs used by Russian jets on Syrian territory were loaded with this substance, according to SOHR.

“It has been discovered that they are “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” cluster incendiary bombs, each weighing about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds) and they were dropped by military aircraft. They carried anti-individuals and anti-vehicles small-sized bombs of the type ((AO 2.5 RTM)), loaded with from 50 to 110 small-sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which pour out of it when they explode. The range of this anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs reaches 20 to 30 metres,” SOHR stated.