In early October, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) shocked the Syrian Armed Forces in eastern Hama with a large-scale offensive to cutoff the Syrian Government’s only supply to the provincial capital of the Aleppo Governorate.
This massive offensive proved successful for ISIS as the Syrian Arab Army’s 66th Brigade of the 11th Tank Division was forced to abandon their positions along the Khanasser-Ithriyah Highway, leaving the terrorist group in control of 15km of territory.
Two weeks after ISIS cutoff the Syrian Governorate’s supply route to the Aleppo Governorate, the Syrian Arab Army’s 66th Brigade – alongside the 555th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division and the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Al-Salamiyah – recaptured their lost points along the Khanasser-Ithriyah Highway; thus, resulting in the reopening of this roadway to the provincial capital of Aleppo.
Now, one month after losing their territorial gains, ISIS is preparing for another large-scale offensive in the Hama Governorate’s eastern countryside after being routed by the Syrian Armed Forces in mid-October.
According to a military source in the city of Al-Salamiyah, the Syrian Arab Army’s 66th Brigade has been put on high alert after Russian military intelligence intercepted an ISIS communique that alluded to another massive offensive in eastern Hama.
Unlike the last ISIS offensive, the Syrian Armed Forces are well-prepared for this looming threat and determined to route the terrorist group, despite being spread-out across the Hama Governorate.
