On June 15, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed several units of the 62nd Brigade and the National Dense Forces (NDF) in the areas of Tell Asfar and A’wra in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside, according to the Syrian blog al-Suwayda 24.
Syrian pro-government sources revealed that the SAA is reorganizing and reinforcing its units in order to resume its attack on the remaining fighters of ISIS in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside.
The SAA launched a large scale military operation to eliminate ISIS cells in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside on June 7 and managed to capture several key positions within a few days. However, the SAA was forced to put the operation on pause after losing more than 30 soldiers and officers along with several battle tanks.
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According to Syrian pro-government activists, hundreds of ISIS fighters and commander are currently hiding in the eastern al-Suwayda countryside. Most of these militants were allowed to withdraw from several districts south of the city of Damascus in May.
Clearing the eastern al-Suwayda countryside is vital for securing the al-Suwayda-Damascus highway. The operation against ISIS there will also secure the SAA positions around the US-led coalition base in the settlement of al-Tanaf, near the Syrian-Iraqi border.
