Russian aircrafts launch intense raids on Badia after 23 Syrian government soldiers were killed

Russian warplanes began a new round of intense aerial bombardment this morning, targeting areas held by ISIS mercenaries in the Syrian Badia, as Russian warplanes launched more than 40 air strikes since the early hours of the morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The targeting included the Athriya axis in the eastern countryside of Hama, the Rusafa Desert in the countryside of Raqqa, the vicinity of Jabal Bishri at the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, and other axes far east of Homs desert near Deir ez-Zor. These raids are an attempt to curb the activity of ISIS mercenaries in Badia after the latter carried out major operations during the past hours, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries from Damascus government forces in ambushes, targets or attacks. Despite the intense Russian raids, the Damascus government forces and the groups that support them are still unable to eliminate the remaining ISIS mercenaries who launch attacks on Government forces and cause heavy casualties in their ranks. Yesterday, the Observatory reported that 23 elements of Damascus Government forces had been killed in separate areas of Syrian Badia during the past 48 hours, in ambushes and by mines of ISIS mercenary cells deployed in the eastern Badia of Homs through Badia Hama and Deir ez-Zor, and reaching the desert of Raqqa.