In the last two months, ISIS fighters killed more than 500 soldiers and officers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) during clashes in the Damascus desert, according to an infographic which was released by ISIS newspaper al-Nab’a.
Click to see full-size image
Furthermore, the terrorist group claimed in the infographic that its fighters repelled “dozens” of SAA attacks on their positions in the desert and destroyed 6 battle tanks and 13 vehicles while doing so.
The SAA launched a military operation against the remaining ISIS cells in the Damascus desert and the northern al-Suwayda countryside in early August, after a brutal attack by the terrorist group on several villages in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside. During the attack, ISIS fighters killed 250 people and abducted around 30 others.
While the SAA managed to clear the northern al-Suwayda countryside, it is still struggling in the area of al-Safa and the hostages are yet to be freed. According to local observers, the rough terrain in the Damascus desert and the safety of the hostages are the biggest challenges faced by the SAA in this operation.
