A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
On February 18, twelve ISIS terrorists were killed in a series of Russian airstrikes on Syria’s central region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
According to the London-based monitoring group, at least 20 Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS cells and their hideouts in the Jebel Bishri, which lays along the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.
“Russian warplanes are still flying over the region,” the SOHR’s report reads.
A day earlier, Russian warplanes carried out more than 100 airstrikes on ISIS hideouts in eastern Homs, eastern Hama, southern Raqqa and western Deir Ezzor.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have been supporting Syrian government troops in the central region for a few months now. Russian airstrikes drains ISIS cells in the region, which sustained heavy losses.
Earlier this week, a Russian drone uncovered a large weapons cache of the ISIS in eastern Homs. The cache was later raided by government forces.
Despite sustaining losses, ISIS cells continue their attempts to expand their influence in central Syria. The group plans to establish new strongholds in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle as well as in western Deir Ezzor.
