While not a threat to the Assad regime, fighting continues in Syria where Russian air power continues to play a role in fighting jihadis:
In the east (Homs and Raqqa provinces) ISIL gunmen and Syrian security (army and militia) forces clashed numerous times over the last ten days. This turned into a major operation to clear ISIL from the Sukhnah desert in eastern Homs and the adjacent Rasafah desert in Raqqa province as well as the larger Baida desert to the south. The fighting produced several hundred casualties and over a hundred dead, most of them Islamic terrorists. These clashes began with a growing number of ISIL attack along the east-west main highways running through these desert areas. ISIL was also active with raids and assassinations. Russia and Syria had been planning major operation against ISIL and this is what the last few days of fighting consisted of. The final stages of this operation was particularly effective at finding and destroying ISIL camps and safe houses.
Not that Sunni Arabs who survived the now-decade-long multi-war like Assad. Nor are the Kurds fans of Assad, although a deal is possible because of mutual fear of the Turks.
And who knows if the Alawites, Shias, and Christians who backed Assad when his back was against the wall will turn on Assad in the end.
