The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that several areas in the Syrian desert experience ongoing military operations in the wake of stepping up shelling and clashes since early September, as fierce battles are underway between ISIS members on one hand, and regime forces and loyalists, with Russian air support, on the other.

According to SOHR, the clashes are mostly concentrated in Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle where the battles are relatively more raging than those in Homs and Deir ez-Zor deserts. ISIS is seeking to carry out various operations against regime forces, including surprise attacks and detonations, while regime forces, backed by Russian aircraft, are seeking to contain ISIS escalating activities.

The Observatory has documented large number of fatalities in the clashes and Russian airstrikes since early October, as 41 regime soldiers and loyalists were killed, while ISIS lost 49 members in the same period. The death toll is expected to rise as several soldiers and members were injured, some seriously, in addition to unconfirmed reports of more casualties.

Since the 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 822 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 140 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by the “Islamic State”, west of Euphrates in the deserts of Deir ez-Zor, Homs, and Al-Suwaidaa.

Also four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds and four other people were killed and documented by SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. 439 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.