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Scores of Syrians Are Still Being Killed by Regime Forces, Coalition Air Raids, Faction Attacks

June 17, 2018 

Editor's Note:

The following news stories are just examples of the daily horrors of war in Syria. Readers can find more detailed daily news stories at the sources below as well as many other sources in the internet. 

 

Destruction of Aleppo

 

The following are news stories from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website (http://www.syriahr.com/en/):

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13 were killed (on June 16, 2018) including 5 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and several civilians and fighters

SOHR, 17/06/2018 Less than a minute

It rose to 2 including a fighter, the number of who joined yesterday, Saturday, the convoy of casualties of the Syrian revolution.

In Aleppo province a child was killed by a mine explosion in a village in the countryside of Afrin in northwest of Aleppo.

In Latakia province a fighter of a rebel faction was killed as a result of shelling by the regime forces on Jabal al-Turkman.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also documented the death of a fighter of a rebel faction who died affected by injury he had in an IED explosion on the road between Ma’arrat Mesrin town and Idlib city, also unknown gunmen opened fire on a member of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham which killed him.

And 5 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in shelling and clashes against the “Islamic State” organization and the factions.

At least 4 fighters of the “Islamic State” organization and the factions of non-Syrian nationalities were killed in clashes and shelling by warplanes and helicopters and shelling on areas of their presence.

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Targeting a group of the regime forces and their allies by ISIS kills and injures several members in the eastern desert of Homs

SOHR, 17/06/2018 2 minutes read

Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: within the “Islamic State’s” effort to disperse the regime forces and their allies of Iranian forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah, and to paralyzed them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring the “Islamic State” organization being able to target vehicles of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them; in the eastern desert of Homs near Owayrid Dam area, in which the first attack by the organization took p[lace after getting out of south of the capital Damascus, on May 22nd, 2018, which killed at least 26 members of the regime forces and their allies of the Iranian forces and the Syrian and non-Syrian gunmen loyal to them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the targeting took place during the hours of last night, where ISIS managed to kill at least 5 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, and injured others with varying severity.

The Syrian Observatory published yesterday, Tuesday, that reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the regime forces are continuing with their allies of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, to bring military reinforcements to the Syrian Desert, where the regime forces brought again tens of military vehicles carrying equipment, weapons and ammunition as well as hundreds of members of the regime forces and their allies of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, and the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the bringing of these reinforcements comes in an attempt by the regime forces to fortify their positions and strengthen their presence in the Syrian Desert, for fear of a mass offensive that may be carried out by the “Islamic State” organization against them in the deserts of Homs and Deir Ezzor, in an attempt to expand its control over the enclaves that are under its control, and to revive its areas of control on the Syrian territory, in the wake of the attacks which are carried out either by the regime forces and their allies, or by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition through its American, Italian, French and European forces, where the organization which is located in the triangle of Al-Sukhnah – Jabal Abu Rajeem – Al-Tibah in the west of Palmyra – Al-Sukhnah – Deir Ezzor Road, is seeking to expand its control even more amid successive preparations carried out by the organization to expand the scope of its attacks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 22nd of May 2018 that it monitored the arrival of hundreds of members of the “Islamic State” organization aboard buses to the Syrian Desert, of who were evacuated from Yarmouk Camp and al-Tadamon neighborhood in the southern part of the capital Damascus, after a secret agreement between the “Islamic State” organization and the regime under the Russian supervision, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that  the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored simultaneous arrival of the two batch of buses, which completed the process of evacuating the “Islamic State” organization from the south of the capital Damascus, thus, the regime forces regained the control of it more than 6 years after the regime lost its control over the capital Damascus, where a convoy arrived in Idlib province, carrying about 600 children and citizen women of the families of the organization’s members including citizens who refuse the agreement of the regime with the organization, of who exit from Yarmouk Camp and al-Tadamon neighborhood, in conjunction with the arrival of the convoy which carries the fighters of the organization, its members and commanders in the Syrian Desert, after a long travel for hours.

More than 30 casualties of ISIS during the control of the International Coalition and SDF on villages and towns near the Syrian – Iraqi border

SOHR, 17/06/2018

The fight continues in the southern sector of al-Hasakah countryside, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of clashes between members of the “Islamic State” organization against the Syria Democratic Forces and French, Italian and American Forces, in areas in the far southern countryside of al-Hasakah, where the latter managed to achieve an advancement in the area and controlled more villages, after taking control of the center of the last enclave of organization in al-Hasakah, al-Dshisha town, and they also reduced the size of the “Islamic State” organization’s controlled areas within this enclave, in which the forces of the Coalition and SDF are trying to end the existence of the organization definitively; and advance toward its adjacent enclave in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

The violent clashes between both parties, which have escalated since midnight of last night, Saturday, June 16th, 2018, caused tens of casualties among members of the organization, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 30 members of the organization at least since yesterday night until the morning of today, Sunday, and other members were injured, raising to 68 at least, the number of members of the “Islamic State” organization who were killed in the last 2 weeks, where the violent clashes enabled the attacking forces of the International Coalition and SDF to reduce the control of the “Islamic State” organization in the southern sector of al-Hasakah countryside, confining it to a narrower range and paving the way for the ending its presence completely in al-Hasaka province, and in the enclave adjacent to the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, coincided with the rise of numbers of the areas controlled by the latter to more than 22 villages, farms, and hills in about 2 weeks of fighting. 

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18 civilians, mostly Iraqi refugees, killed in U.S. coalition airstrike on Syria

by Mohammed Ebraheem Jun 11, 2018, 4:34 pm

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) –

About 18 civilians, mostly Iraqi refugees, were killed Monday in an airstrike launched by warplanes of the U.S.-led international coalition on Khoibra village in the southern countryside of Hasaka, Syria.

Local sources told Syria’s SANA news agency that the warplanes of the international coalition raided a school in the village of Khoibra, southeast of al-Shadadi, claiming the lives of 18 civilians, most of them are Iraqi refugees who fled from criminal acts of Islamic State and the coalition’s bombing.

In April, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi denied intentions to interfere in the domestic affairs of Syria, saying airstrikes against Islamic State will continue.

Iraq had previously announced launching airstrikes against IS locations in Syria. This came after Abadi said security troops will follow IS militants in the whole region, not only in Iraq.

The Iraqi-Syrian borders are under the control of joint troops of military and border guards.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

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The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) :

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Operation Roundup in Syria Continues to Target ISIS

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2018 —

In Syria, Operation Roundup is in its 36th day of targeting and destroying remnants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Army Col. Thomas Veale, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman, told Pentagon reporters today via teleconference from Baghdad.

As a nonpermanent force, the coalition aims to enable the Iraqi security forces to be self-sufficient. Army photo by Spc. Zakia Gray “The increased operational tempo under Operation Roundup includes 225 coalition partner strikes in May,” the spokesman said. “That's a 304 percent increase over March and a 123 percent increase over April strikes. We and our partners have pounded ISIS remnants from the ground and air in relentless pursuit of their leaders and fighters.”

Sagging ISIS Morale

ISIS’ morale is low and its leaders are scurrying for their lives, he said, noting that thanks to increased coalition and partner pressure, quite a bit of ISIS traffic is now flowing west toward Syrian regime-held territory.

Veale also announced the removal of a key ISIS operative from the battlefield in Syria. Amed al-Hamdouni, a courier for ISIS senior leadership, was killed during a coalition operation May 17 near Dashisha, Syria, he said.

Al-Hamdouni carried messages among high-level ISIS leaders throughout Syria and Iraq. His death hurts ISIS leadership's ability to communicate securely and increases their risk of public exposure or further isolation, Veale said.

Turning to Iraq, Iraqi security force partners continue to provide excellent internal security and border security to protect Iraq's sovereign soil and citizens, Veale said.

Iraq’s citizens are increasingly coming home, and to date, more than 3.7 million Iraqis have returned, he said.

The spokesman emphasized Iraqi security forces’ key role in securing the Iraqi side of the border with Syria in Operation Roundup. “Iraqi border guard forces and the Iraqi army have covered the western border as our partners' ground defenses attack ISIS remnants in Syria,” he said.

Operation Reliable Partnership

The coalition also continues support to Iraq through Operation Reliable Partnership, which will enhance Iraqi forces' ability to train and equip themselves, Veale said, adding, “Reliable Partnership will build resilience and security and sustainment capabilities, as well as the growing air enterprise, security policy and operations, intelligence and counterterrorism.”

The United States views Operation Reliable Partnership as an investment in Iraq's future security and, as the successful defeat-ISIS operations have shown, is also an investment in global security, Veale said.

“We look forward to continuing the successes of this partnership,” he added.

“Our mission remains unchanged: to defeat ISIS in designated parts of Iraq and Syria, and to help set conditions for follow-on operations to increase regional stability,” the spokesman said.

 “We, the military arm of the global coalition, work by, with and through our partners to achieve and help sustain security that enables stabilization activities,” he said. “Military action will only take us so far by providing a safer environment in which to work. We now encourage the international community to take advantage of the space, time and opportunities military successes have bought.”

Veale said the coalition and its partners have dealt severe blows to ISIS. However, he added, the enemy is adaptable and determined to rise again.

“There is no doubt momentum is on our side, but we're facing a determined enemy and there is much work to do,” the spokesman said. “We're grateful for the support of the global coalition of 71 nations and four international organizations, and we are ever mindful of the sacrifices our predecessors and our partners have made.”

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