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On December 16, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies recaptured the village of al-Kawm in Syria’s central region from ISIS cells.
The terrorists captured the small village, which located a few kilometers to the north of the key town of al-Sukhnah in the eastern Homs countryside, on November 28. Back then, the defenders of the village were taken by surprise and forced to retreat.
This was one of very few occasions in which ISIS cells were able to impose control over an urban center in the central region after the collapse of their “caliphate” in 2018-2019.
Syrian news sources said that the SAA recaptured al-Kawm in a quick attack that was directly backed by the Russian military. Several terrorists of ISIS were reportedly killed, wounded or captured in the course of the attack, which ended within 24 hours.
ISIS cells didn’t likely plan to stay in al-Kawm for too long. It is possible that the terrorists only wanted to loot and plunder supplies they desperately need, like food, fuel and medicine.
The remaining terrorists in central Syria have been under much pressure by the SAA and its allies. Their main supply lines, which pass through the western Deir Ezzor countryside and the southern countryside of Raqqa, were disturbed in the last few months as a result of repeated military operations.
ISIS insurgency in the central region will not likely end in the near future. Nevertheless, the terrorists are without a doubt struggling to keep operating in the harsh desert.
