Syrian army opens new front as ISIS's many foes attack
BEIRUT- The Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes has opened a major new front against ISIS, the third big assault on the self-proclaimed caliphate this week after Iraqi forces attempted to storm a city and a Syrian militia advanced with US support.
The week's three big offensives are some of the most aggressive campaigns against ISIS since it declared its aim to rule over all Muslims from parts of Iraq and Syria two years ago. They signal apparent new resolve by the group's disparate foes on a range of fronts.
Heavy Russian air strikes hit ISIS-held territory in eastern areas of Syria's Hama province, near the boundary of Raqqa province on Friday. Raqqa city, further east, is ISIS's de facto capital in Syria and, along with Mosul in Iraq, the ultimate goal of those seeking to destroy the group's self-declared caliphate.
