Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik
On November 4, at least ten Russian airstrikes hit Syria’s central region where ISIS has been waging an insurgency against Syrian government forces and their allies.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrikes targeted hideouts of ISIS cells near the town of Resafa in the southern countryside of Raqqa.
The Russian airstrikes were likely a response to a recent attack which saw ISIS terrorists destroying a vehicle of Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah near the town of Madan in the eastern countryside of Raqqa with an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). The attack claimed the lives of four fighters and wounded two others, per Syrian opposition sources.
It’s unclear how ISIS terrorists in central Syria, who are supposed to be besieged, were able to obtain a functioning ATGM.
The source of the ATGM may be US-backed fighters based in the southeastern area of al-Tanf. According to several reports by the Syrian state media, al-Tanf fighters have been providing supplies, including weapons, to ISIS cells in the central region in exchange for money.
Despite facing several challenges like the US military presence in al-Tanf, pro-government forces continue to operation against ISIS cells in the central region with direct support from the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Condolences to the fallen wahabimossad and CIAisis operators. May they rest in pieces…