Damascus, according to UNICEF, is attacking hospitals in Idlib and Hama. Objective: to reduce the resistance capacity of HTS, ISIS and rebels when the SAA ground offensive begins. Meanwhile, local people are forming new militias to fight Syrian soldiers

In the north of Syria the Damascus raids against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Isis and the other rebel groups between Hama and Idlib continue. Bashar Assad’s fighters, according to UNICEF reports, are targeting health facilities like hospitals. Analysts believe the cause is making it more difficult to treat injured jihadists when the army’s ground offensive (SAA) starts. The maneuvers, according to local sources, will begin shortly, perhaps even within a few days. The military first weakened the defenses of HTS, the Islamic State and the formations of opponents. Then, they hit their supply networks, mostly run by Daesh. Finally, they are reducing the resistance capacity of the militants and beyond. The local population, in fact, has always refused to leave the area and has recently created the Popular Resistance Companies with which to fight SAA.

In Deir Ezzor the SDF continue the hunt for Islamic State cells, which resumes attacking the SAA in the desert of Badia al-Sham

In Deir Ezzor the SDF captured new Isis militia cells along the Euphrates and dismantled a network of tunnels in Sha’fah. This was discovered thanks to the local population, which provided information to Jazeera Storm. The Islamic State militiamen, on the other hand, continue to set fire to crops in the Syrian province. Furthermore, they resumed attacking the SAA in the desert of Badia al-Sham, between Homs and Deir Ezzor. In the past few hours the jihadists have ambushed a convoy of soldiers, killing several, near Palmyra. In the area there is a large group of Daesh fundamentalist who have fled the battlefields all over the country. These have created a sort of safe haven from which to launch attacks especially in the east. Damascus has announced various operations to eliminate the pocket, but they never begun until now.