On August 9, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and local fighters liberated 2,000km2 of the northern al-Suwayda countryside in the framework of their operation against ISIS cells in the region, according to Sham Hamdan, a reporter for the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
A day earlier, the SAA reached the areas of Dahrat Rashid, al-Naima, al-Salasil and al-Sawut in the northern al-Suwayda countryside.
Syrian pro-government activists said that the SAA secured most of the area of al-Kar’a and reached the heavily fortified area of al-Safa. According to local sources, the remaining fighters of ISIS are currently hiding in al-Safa.
So far, ISIS fighters have been avoiding any confrontation with the SAA and running away towards al-Safa. This will likely change in the upcoming hours as the SAA is preparing to attack the fortified area.
As the SAA continues its rapid advance, the fate of more than 30 civilian hostages, who were abducted by ISIS in a terrorist attack two weeks ago, remains unknown. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Damascus government is still negotiating with the terrorist group to free them. However, these claims are yet to be confirmed.
