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Early on April 24, ISIS cells attacked a unit of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 5th Corps that was recently deployed in the eastern countryside of Hama.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS terrorists took the newly-deployed unit by surprise and clashed with its personnel in the area of Abu al-Elaj to the northeast of the town of al-Salamiyah.
“Clashes erupted between the two sides, leaving two members of the 5th Corps dead and three others injured,” the London-based monitoring group said in a report. “It is worth noting that the targeted group left the frontlines of Idlib countryside yesterday afternoon, heading to the eastern countryside of Hama.”
The attack was likely launched from the Homs desert, ISIS main stronghold in central Syria. Hundreds of terrorists are reportedly taking shelter there.
In the last few months, the SAA intensified its operations against ISIS cells in the central region, especially in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle. The Russian Aerospace Forces provided the army with close air support. Dozens of terrorists were killed.
Despite some setbacks, the situation in central Syria today is more stable than before. ISIS cells are backing down and all strategic highways are safe and open.
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The highways may be open but they’re not safe to travel yet, not if Isis can hide 200 men and 24 vehicles just 9km away from one of the Iranian checkpoints on the M4, and just 15 km away from the Iranian command center in Homs.
This will continue to the moment of liberation of Idlib.