On February 11, the Tiger Forces began redeploying their units and equipment from the northeastern Hama countryside to Homs governorate. According to Syrian pro-government activists, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the Tiger Forces and the Russian Aerospace Forces are preparing to launch a large scale military operation against the besieged ISIS forces in the Homs desert.
The SAA and its allies had besieged more than 500 ISIS fighters in the Homs desert after securing the western bank of the Euphrates River on December 17, 2017. Since then, the SAA has not launched any military operation in the Homs desert as it was busy conducting much needed defensive and offensive operations in Idlib, Hama and Aleppo governorates.
Syrian experts believe that the besieged ISIS fighters in Homs desert pocket are well armed and experienced as most of them participated in several attacks against the SAA in 2017. Moreover, it is high possibility that prominent commanders of ISIS are currently besieged in the pocket.
A source close to the Tiger Forces told SouthFornt that the military operation against ISIS in the Homs desert pocket will not begin soon, as the SAA and its allies are currently resupplying their troops and waiting for the weather there to improve.
The Tiger Forces backed by the Russian Aero Space Forces were able to eliminate a smaller pocket of ISIS in the northeastern Hama countryside within three days only.