Islamic State terrorist group intensifies its terrorist activity in Syria
The Islamic State terrorist group took advantage of the coronavirus epidemic, which led to a decrease in the activity of the Syrian army in order to intensify actions against the forces of the Syrian regime. They attack Kurdish self-defense units, learned BulgarianMilitary.com citing Israeli news agency News.co.il.
Despite the loud statements about the victory over jihadists, the IS militants retained their presence in the desert regions of Eastern Syria, mainly in the province of Dir al-Zur. They operate in the east of the province of Homs.
According to the Al-Monitor website, on April 9, militants attacked a convoy and several roadblocks in the province. In response, they were hit by the Russian Air Force. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 19 supporters of Bashar al-Assad and 11 jihadists were killed.
The site cites a military source close to the Syrian regime, reporting that the militants used machine guns, mortars, and hand grenade launchers. Most likely, this military equipment was captured during previous attacks. During the period from March 24 to April 9, the loss of the Syrian army and its allied groups at the hands of IS militants amounted to 401 people. Pro-Turkish groups blame jihadists on Iran.
In February, Turkey lost at least 62 troops killed in Syria, nearly 100 soldiers were wounded, dozens of Turkish armored vehicles were destroyed and more than ten drones, including drone, were shot down. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of involvement in the deaths of Turkish soldiers, Russia rejects these allegations.
In early March, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, concluded an agreement according to which a ceasefire came into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military did not leave the country, Damascus would be able to use force.
The reason for the Russian-Turkish negotiations was a sharp aggravation of the situation in Idlib, where in January a large-scale offensive by the Syrian army against the positions of the armed opposition and terrorists began.
Government forces recaptured nearly half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind a number of Turkish observation posts. After that, Ankara sharply increased its military contingent in the region and launched the operation “Spring Shield” to push the Syrian troops. Turkey is also supported by militants loyal to it.
Source: Bulgarian Military
