ALEPPO — The Islamic State (IS) organization has since early April escalated its attacks against Syrian government forces and allied militias in the Syrian desert area known as the Badiya. In parallel, Russian air raids targeting IS hideouts and outposts in the Badiya area have also increased, with government forces and their militias sending military reinforcements in preparation for a military operation against IS.

IS’ recent attacks are unprecedented. It targeted military barracks, oil fields and huge Syrian military convoys. It used various weapons, including medium- and short-range missiles, which means that it now possesses a diverse arsenal of weapons and follows new tactics that have confused government forces and inflicted heavy losses among its ranks.

Aahed Muhammad, a journalist based in Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, told Al-Monitor that the most recent attack on April 13 by IS targeted military positions of government forces and allied Iranian militias in the desert in Homs.

Earlier, the organization launched attacks against government forces in the Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Homs provinces. The oil fields that IS targeted in April include al-Kharata oil field in the southwest of the Deir ez-Zor province, Muhammad added.