BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – In October, both pro-government and pro-rebel audiences were shocked to witness a large ISIS force suddenly bursting onto semi-desert plains of northeast Hama province which undertook an offensive rampage that saw it seize multiple villages and towns in region from rival jihadist groups.
Despite the best efforts of militant factions to try eliminate the threat, they ultimately failed and since then the ISIS bastion has gradually expanded throughout northeast Hama, reportedly even reaching into southwest Aleppo province according to some opposition sources.
The estimates (all of which were baseless) put forth by pro-army and rebel sources are that this new Islamic State force consists of about 300 fighters. In reality, the number is around three times greater.
However large the ISIS group was when it first entered into northeast Hama, at the present time it possess – as revealed by a trusted source of the author of this article – about 800-900 fighters.
Defections from other militant groups, pro-ISIS spies hidden among refugees which fled towards Idlib from east Hama and the recruitment of captured rebel prisoners were said by the source to have considerably increased the size of the original force.
The type and amount of heavy military equipment possessed by ISIS militants in northeast Hama remains unclear.
142 1 - 143Shares
Be Civil
This is a Civilized Place for Public Discussion
Please treat this discussion with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation.
These are not hard and fast rules, merely guidelines to aid the human judgment of our community and keep this a clean and well-lighted place for civilized public discourse.
Make it better
Improve the Discussion
Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Now the hard part!
Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree
You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid:
Instead, provide reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.