ISIL Suffers Their Biggest Setback in Syria; Jabal Al-Sha’ar Captured by the Syrian Army

The 18th Tank Brigade of the Syrian Arab Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, backed by the National Defense Forces and Liwaa Al-Qalb Al-Suqour Sahra’a (Syrian Arab Army Special Forces), have captured the remaining gas fields of Jabal Al-Sha’ar (Poet Mountains) in east Homs. This marks the 2nd time in 4 months that this mountain area in the Homs Governorate has been recaptured by SAA and their allies.

The operation that led to the capture of Jabal Al-Sha’ar was under the command of Colonel Suheil Al-Hassan of the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” – he would leave his position in Hama to his second-in-command, Captain Lu’ayy Sleitan. Col. Al-Hassan’s presence gave the embattled soldiers a boost in morale, as he arrived with the rarely used, Al-Qalb Al-Suqour Sahra’a Brigades – they are known for their desert camouflage uniforms.

In 2 days, the SAA took control of the imperative Hayyan Gas Fields; Oil Well 802; Wells 101, 102, 103, and 104; Khirbet Al-Tiyaas; and the villages of Jarrah and Hujjar. As a result of this operation, the SAA has secured the vital supply route on Palmyra-Homs Road that leads to the soldiers fighting in the Deir Ezzor Governorate. The loss of Jabal Al-Sha’ar for ISIL is the biggest setback they have faced in this conflict, due to the overwhelming number of fighters they lost and the failure to end the SAA’s presence in the deserts of east Homs.