Syrian regime troops killed, captured in surprise IS attack

Syrian regime troops killed and captured in surprise IS attack

The attack took place in Syria's central Homs region, near the ancient city of Palmyra which IS once controlled.

2 min read

21 June, 2021

The attack was the latest against Syrian regime forces backed by Russia and Iran [Getty Images]

At least 12 Syrian soldiers were killed and four more captured Monday in the latest attack carried out by the group (IS) targeting forces.

The attack took place in central Homs province, targeting the Syrian 11th Division in Wadi al-Abyad, near , according to Almodon.

The ambush took place as Russian warplanes flew overhead with regime forces later sweeping the desert to search for the attackers.

Local forces, with the support of Russia and Iran, have carried out a campaign to rid parts of Syria of the last remaining pockets of IS territories since Tuesday, destroying 23 vehicles and more than 50 IS sites in Homs, Hama, and Raqqa provinces, according to Almodon.

The operation has resulted in the killing and wounding of more than 80 militants, pro-regime media has alleged.

Attacks against regime forces are frequent, while IS - despite being driven out of territory it once controlled in Syria, including Palmyra - has claimed many of them.

Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015 to help dictator President Bashar Assad push back rebel groups as his regime began losing ground, while Iran also maintains a military presence either directly or through its proxies.

The vast majority of IS strongholds were taken by Kurdish forces following a US-led offensive. With IS' collapse, Syrian regime forces soon rushed to capture gas-rich desert areas in the east from the group.