East Hama offensive (2017)

Eastern Hama offensive (2017)
Part of the Syrian Civil War and the Russian military intervention in Syria
Date 31 May – 18 June 2017 (2 weeks and 4 days) Location Salamiyah District, Eastern Hama Governorate, Syria Result Offensive stalled; Limited Army gains[1]
Belligerents
Syrian Arab Republic  Russia Allied militias: Liwa al-Quds Hezbollah[2]	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Unknown
Units involved
Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Army 10th Mechanised Division[3] 11th Armored Division[4] 18th Armoured Division[5] 5th Corps[6][3] al-Assad/Lion Shield Forces[7] ISIL Hunters[8] Republican Guard 800th Regiment[9] Syrian Marines Tiger Forces Qalamoun Shield Forces National Defence Forces Golan Regiment al-Shaitat tribe militias[10][11] Military Intelligence Directorate Military Security Shield Forces[12] Desert Commandos Regiment[5] Air Force Intelligence Directorate[13] Fawj Nusur Homs[3] Syrian Air Force Russian Armed Forces Russian Air Force Special operations forces advisors[14] Hezbollah[2] Radwan Forces[15] Syrian Hezbollah units al-Ridha Forces[15] al-Ghalibun[3] Imam Mahdi Brigade[3]	Military of ISIL

The Eastern Hama offensive (2017) was a military operation conducted by the Syrian Army against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with the goal to secure the Ithriyah-Sheikh Hilal road, the government supply line towards Aleppo, and advance towards Wadi Auzain.^[16]

The offensive

On 31 May, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies, supported by the Russian Air Force, began an offensive towards the IS stronghold of Uqayribat,^[17] in the eastern part of the Salamiyah District in Hama Governorate.^[18] The next day, a new batch of government reinforcements arrived for the offensive.^[19] Uqayribat had been used by ISIL as a launching pad for attacks on Salamiyah. On 3 June, Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out more than 30 air strikes ISIL positions. Heavy artillery and missiles were also used.^[20]

During the morning of 5 June, the Syrian Arab Army, supported by the NDF, started an operation on a second axis against ISIL to the south of Sheikh Hilal. Before the ground attack, ISIL positions were hit by non-stop air strikes and artillery shelling.^[21] The next day, the Army captured two towns south-east of Sheikh Hilal.^[16]

On 12 June, the Syrian Army sent technicals, anti-aircraft guns and artillery pieces mounted on trucks to the area.^[22] Four days later, government forces restarted the offensive, capturing the large hilltop of Tal Dabbart Debah and then shifting their attention to the Aqareb Dam.^[23] During 18 June, the Army captured four villages north of Uqayribat, along the road between Ithriya and Al-Saan.^[24][25] On 13 July, Desert Hawks alongside NDF and Liwa al-Quds secured villages of Um Tuwaynah, al-Hardaneh and al-Qatshiyah, south of Salamiyah-Ithriyah road, thus securing the supply line to Aleppo city.^[26]

References

Coordinates: 34°33′36″N 38°16′02″E / 34.5600°N 38.2672°E / 34.5600; 38.2672