The Eastern Hama offensive (2017) was a

military operation A military operation (op) is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operati ...

conducted by the Syrian Army against

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

(ISIL) with the goal to secure the Ithriyah-Sheikh Hilal road, the government supply line towards

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

, and advance towards Wadi Auzain.

The offensive

On 31 May, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies, supported by the

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

, began an offensive towards the IS stronghold of Uqayribat, in the eastern part of the Salamiyah District in

Hama Governorate Hama Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates to the north, Raqqa Gove ...

. The next day, a new batch of government reinforcements arrived for the offensive. Uqayribat had been used by ISIL as a launching pad for attacks on

Salamiyah file:Hama qalat shmemis salamiyyah syria 1995.jpg, A full view of Shmemis (spring 1995) Salamiyah (; also transliterated ''Salamiyya'', ''Salamieh'' or ''Salamya'') is a city in central Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate. It is ...

. On 3 June, Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out more than 30 air strikes ISIL positions. Heavy artillery and missiles were also used. 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. The next day, the Army captured two towns south-east of Sheikh Hilal. On 12 June, the Syrian Army sent technicals, anti-aircraft guns and artillery pieces mounted on trucks to the area. 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. During 18 June, the Army captured four villages north of Uqayribat, along the road between Ithriya and Al-Saan. On 13 July, Desert Hawks alongside NDF and Liwa al-Quds secured villages of Um Tuwaynah, al-Hardaneh and al-Qatshiyah, south of

- Ithriyah road, thus securing the supply line to Aleppo city.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:East Hama offensive (2017) Conflicts in 2017 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Russia Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2017 June 2017 in Syria Hama Governorate in the Syrian civil war