Syrian troops beat back ISIS assault in southern Syria, zero in on southern Deir Ezzor
After facing a large-scale ISIS raid in southeastern Homs yesterday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to overcome and foil a separate ISIS counter-attack west of the Hamimah area on the provincial border between Homs and Deir Ezzor.
On this axis, not far from the imperative T2 Pumping Station, 3 ISIS vehicles were destroyed today while at least 10 jihadist fighters were slain during the initial assault. Once the hostile Islamic State convoy began driving back towards southern Deir Ezzor, they were struck repeatedly by SAA artillery shells, thus adding even further to their aforementioned casualties.
If the SAA is to overrun the ISIS bastion of Hamimah, government forces will be within striking distance of the T2 Pumping Station and may strike east towards the Euphrates River, effectively reaching areas that have not been under government control for over five years.
A push towards the provincial capital of Deir Ezzor is also high on the agenda as ISIS has created two vulnerable SAA pockets around the airbase and western districts of the city.
