ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian desert known as the Badia region has been recently witnessing violent battles between the Syrian government forces and Islamic State (IS) militants, while Russian warplanes are raiding the group’s hideouts and military vehicles in the main clash area of Jebel Bishri, which extends over large areas south of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces in the east of the country.
Jebel Bishri in the Badia region is the same area where the government forces lost dozens of their members in separate attacks carried out by IS fighters during the past few weeks. On June 21, IS attacked the government's military barracks in Jebel Bishri, south of Raqqa province, killing and wounding several soldiers.
