The Syrian army wrestled control of a strategic points along a major oil pipeline in Al-Badia in western Syria from ISIS, after several days of fighting in which the army and its allies have been pushing into the desert region of al-Salamiyah.
Several local villages have reportedly been freed from ISIS' control as the Syrian Army re-established its partial control of the vital oil pipeline.
Fighting in the region has been heavy, according to sources, with ISIS using suicide bombers against the army forces, including four bomb-loaded cars, which the Syrian army managed to neutralize, Sputnik reports. The cars were located on a road leading to strategic points of the pipeline.
The next target of the army is the city of Tabqah, which is still under the control of the terrorist group.
Earlier this month, government forces managed to repel an attack by ISIS in Aleppo, one of the main focal points of the war raging across Syria. According to sources from a militia force aiding the Syrian army, the latter again neutralized a bomb-laden car complete with a suicide bomber who targeted the army's positions in the city. ISIS also used snipers in that attack, causing casualties among the members of the militia.
An offensive to take control over ISIS' main pipeline in the eastern Hama region was launched by the Syrian army last week. The army quickly managed to capture several sites along the pipeline that passes through the Al-Raqqa governorate then. The long-term goal at the time was to regain full control of the pipeline, which is a significant revenue channel for ISIS.
The region where the fighting is going on is referred to as "the triangle of death", with non-stop combat, in which no side has so far come out as a clear winner.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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Irina is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry. More