On Saturday morning, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) attempted to take advantage of the Syrian Armed Forces’ attention on the Idlib and west Hama fronts by launching another offensive in east Syria, targeting the mountains of Jabal Al-Sha’ar in the Homs Governorate; this is their third offensive in east Homs in the last 11 months.
The militants from ISIS stormed Jazal in the Al-Sha’ar Mountains, where they successfully infiltrated into the area before the soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army’s “Suqour Al-Sahra” Brigade, 18th Tank Division, and the National Defense Forces (NDF) were able to push them outside of the village, while also killing as many as 25 enemy combatants.
Despite ISIS’ failure to capture the village of Jazal, their fighters still attacked the soldiers from Suqour Al-Sahra at Well 101 in Jabal Al-Sha’ar, as they attempted to recapture this vital gas well that remains under the Syrian Government’s control in east Homs.
According to a military source, ISIS and Suqour Al-Sahra are immersed in fierce firefights at Well 101 and the Tayfour Airbase in Jabal Al-Sha’ar; this area is imperative to ISIS due to its proximity to the Deir Ezzor Governorate and the country of Iraq to the east of these mountains.
