Syrian army and Hezbollah’s units advance to ISIS headquarters of Raqqa

Fighter jets thought to be related to the International Coalition bombarded a large number of areas in Syrian city of Deir Al Zour, as the bombardment led to the killing of a large number of persons. The International Coalition’s fighter jets also bombarded areas in Deir Al Zour’s eastern countryside, leading to increasing material damages with no information about humanitarian losses.

The army’s control of the crossing, a once-thriving passenger and commercial gateway with Jordan, would sever the rebel link between the eastern and western parts of the province they control, dealing a major blow to their cause in the south. The Governor of Aleppo Hassan Diab called the security department to inform the displaced civilians residing in the University City to evacuate it, Qasioun News reported on Monday.

The Governor set the end of the holy month of Ramadan as a deadline for the exit of the displaced civilians, forcing university officials to harass elderly displaced people by cutting off electricity and water, as well as insulting them, according to media outlets belonging to the Syrian regime.

Noteworthy, number of displaced families who are residing in the University City of Aleppo University is estimated by 320 familes, who left their houses due to the heavy shelling and air strikes on their neighborhoods, east and south of the city of Aleppo.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Tuesday, carried out air strikes and artillery shelling on areas, east of the city of Raqqa. Qasioun News reported that the Syrian Democratic Forces conducted air strikes and artillery shelling on the area of Dawar al-Barazi, 23 Shabat Street and the neighborhood of Abu al-Hays, east of the city of Raqqa, however, no casualties were reported.

Meanwhile, Army Aviation carried out several air strikes on the old bridge area, south of Raqqa, causing only material damage to the area. Furthermore, clashes broke out between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Islamic State group in al-Sena’a area, north of the city of Raqqa. Noteworthy, Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the international coalition, retook strategic locations and neighborhoods in the city, since last Tuesday.

The Syrian army has made a sudden advance against Islamic State in the desert area west of Raqqa, a military media unit run by its ally Hezbollah said on Tuesday. Syria’s vast deserts have become the main theater of war in recent weeks as rival forces race to capture ground from the jihadist group, which is slowly retreating on several fronts.

The area between Ithriya and Tabqa, west of Islamic State’s de facto Syrian capital Raqqa, is important for the army since it can be used to attack government-held towns and supply routes. According to the Hezbollah military media unit, the army has punched southwards to the Ithriya-Tabqa highway, a distance of about 20 miles (32 km) from its positions south of Maskaneh.

The road was used by Islamic State to attack positions along the government’s main supply route to Aleppo near Ithriya, and, if fully captured, would help the army advance into the desert. It captured the villages of Rajm Askar, Bir Inbaj, Zahar Um Baj, Jab Aziz, Jab al-Ghanem, Abu Sousa and Jab Abyad from the jihadist group, the media unit said.

Syria’s army is aided in the six-year-long war by Shi’ite militias backed by Iran, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and by Russian air power. A war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also said the Syrian army had advanced in that area. Al-Rusafa oil field is located nearby.

The advance will help the army to relieve pressure on the Ithriya-Khanaser road, part of the government’s supply route to Aleppo, the Observatory said. The army has also launched attacks to push Islamic State back from the Salamiya-Ithriya road, part of the same supply route, in recent weeks.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of militias backed by a U.S.-led coalition, holds Tabqa, northeast of the advances the army was reported to have made on Tuesday. A week into its assault on Raqqa, the SDF on Monday reached the walls of the Old City from the eastern suburbs, the war monitor and a militia spokesman said. It is also pushing into Raqqa from the west and the north.