BEIRUT, Lebanon — Russian air strikes and fierce clashes on Wednesday rocked a sliver of territory in southwestern Syria held by the Islamic State group, a war monitor said.
Much of the southern province of Daraa had been quiet since Friday, when a ceasefire between rebels and Syria’s regime ended a nearly three-week government assault.
But a local branch of IS, known as Jaish Khaled bin Walid and based in a small area in Daraa’s western countryside, was not included in the deal.
Early Wednesday, Russian warplanes began pounding the IS-controlled town of Saham al-Golan, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“Russian air strikes hit Saham al-Golan this morning, as dozens of shells and artillery fire hit the town,” said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
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In retaliation, IS launched an attack southwards on Heet, a rebel-held town that recently agreed to return to regime control.
The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources across Syria, gave no immediate death toll for Wednesday’s fighting.
“Daesh (IS) stormed Heet, detonated a car bomb and advanced there and are also intensely bombing the nearby village of Zaizun,” said Abdel Rahman.
IS claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a suicide car bombing in Zaizun that left 14 fighters dead.
The claim, distributed through an online messaging service, included the first apparent reference to the south as an official IS “province,” reflecting its plan to re-establish an Islamic “caliphate” despite its crushing military defeats in Syria and neighboring Iraq.
Wednesday’s clashes were raging less than ten kilometers (six miles) from the armistice line with the Israeli-occupied Golan, and just four kilometers from Jordan.
Anticipating an attack, thousands have fled the IS-held zone in recent days towards the Israeli-occupied Golan.
Around 200,000 displaced people have already sought refuge near the sealed armistice line, according to the United Nations.
The strategic location makes the south a prize for President Bashar al-Assad.
Backed by Russia, his troops began an offensive on Daraa province on June 19 that killed dozens of civilians and displaced more than 320,000 people.
That ended Friday, when Moscow brokered a deal for rebels to surrender weapons and hand over towns to regime troops.
The agreement also provides for safe passage for thousands of opposition fighters and civilians to rebel territory further north.
