The Free Syrian Army groups on Tuesday announced they recaptured several positions from regime forces and the Iranian militias in the Syrian Desert following violent clashes as part of the “Land is Ours” counterattack the FSA groups launched in early July.
Activists said that Osoud Alsharqiya and the Ahmed Alabdo Brigades FSA groups on Tuesday launched a missile barrage on positions of regime forces and the Iranian militias in Um Rimam, Mahroutha, and Sad Abu Khashaba in eastern Qalamoun in Rural Damascus. The shelling reportedly resulted in the killing of over 40 pro-regime militants and the destruction of several tanks and armored vehicles, while the remaining pro-regime militants were forced to retreat.
Nearly 150 pro-regime militants have been killed over the past 10 days since the FSA groups launched the counterattack to drive regime forces and the Iranian militias out of the Syrian Desert and the eastern Qalmoun area.
The Assad regime has recently deployed thousands of foreign fighters into the Syrian Desert with the aim of capturing the areas that the FSA groups had liberated from the ISIS extremist group.
An FSA commander said that regime forces and their allied foreign militias are trying to advance on the FSA positions under Russian aerial cover. The Assad regime and its allies are seeking to secure a land route from Tehran to Damascus through the Syrian Desert, the commander added. He pointed out that the FSA groups will continue to thwart the regime’s plans in the area. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
