ISIS continues to get purged from Homs under relentless Syrian Army assault

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:05 P.M.) – After capturing the rump of the al-Hayl gas complex yesterday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have continued their relentless operation to reach the strategic town of al-Sukhnah, the last ISIS stronghold in Homs Governonate as well as the terrorist group’s last feasible line of defense directly west of the city of Deir Ezzor.

Today the SAA and allied militias captured from ISIS the key hilltop of Al-Allam Al-Sharqi which overlooks positions of the terrorist group in the areas of Um Al-Sahareej and Al-Mashirfah Al-Janoubyah, near the Al-Shumariyah mountain chain.

It is also worth mentioning that last night, the SAA foiled an ISIS attack towards its positions at Al-Shumariyah. At least eight (8) ISIS fighters died due to the failed assaulted, although this in turn came at the cost of six (6) Syrian soldiers killed in action and five (5) others injured.

With pro-government forces now closing to within 15 kilometers of al-Sukhnah, it can be expected that ISIS will continue to launch insentient cross-desert raids on the flanks of the SAA’s advance. The strategy for ISIS in this regard will be to gradually bleed SAA manpower and weaken its offensive strength as it approaches the strategic town.

Whether or not this strategy proves to be successful is another story.