The Free Syrian Army groups said that they have repelled a large-scale offensive by the Assad regime forces and the Iranian-backed militia on their positions in the Syrian Desert as the international anti-ISIS Coalition announced it bombed convoys of regime forces and Iranian militias for the third time in the area in recent months.
Jaish Ossoud Alsharqiya, an FSA group operating in the Syrian Desert, said that they have repelled an attack by the Assad regime forces and Iranian-backed militias on the outskirts of Tal Dakwa hill, the village of Bier Alqasab, and Tal Dukhan hill.
Younes Salamah, director of Jaish Ossoud Alsharqiya’s media office, told Baladi News Network that regime forces, backed by Iranian and Hezbollah militias, launched a ground attack on its positions in the western part of the area at dawn on Thursday.
“It was a very big attack and was launched from multiple directions preceded by artillery and rocket shelling from the regime-held Sana station,” Salamah said.
Salamah pointed out that the FSA fighters managed to repel the attack despite it being backed by aerial cover from at least 18 Russia and Assad regime fighter jets.
Meanwhile, spokesman for the international anti-ISIS coalition Colonel Ryan Dillon said that a US Air Force fighter jet shot down an armed predator-like drone over southeastern Syria on Thursday after the drone had fired at coalition and FSA forces. No one was injured in the incident, the spokesman added.
Earlier in the day, coalition forces carried out an airstrike on two vehicles belonging to a pro-Assad regime militia force that was moving towards the town of Tanf, Dillon said.
The FSA groups have regained control of several key positions in the Syrian over the past few days, most notably the Zuluf checkpoint and the Jileighim intersection as part of an offensive launched a few days ago called “The Land is Ours.” Pro-regime forces and the Iranian-backed militias advanced on these areas in recent weeks in an attack that was launched from Zaza checkpoint in the Syrian Desert and the Zilluf dam area in rural Swaida. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
