Middle East Escalation: Situation for May 3 - 9, 2024

❗️🌍 The escalation of the situation in the Middle East: highlights of the week May 3 - 9, 2024

▪️The Yemeni Houthis announced a new phase of operation in support of Palestine on May 3. They later reported combined strikes on ships in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

▪️Coalition ships intercepted one UAV over the Red Sea during a May 6 raid. Three more UAVs and a missile launch were detected in the Gulf of Aden on May 7, but there were no casualties.

▪️Meanwhile in Syria, IS militants became more active, with several terrorist attacks killing and wounding more than 20 Syrian Arab Army soldiers. Another 13 government troops were killed in a terrorist attack in northeastern Homs province.

▪️In areas of the Idlib province controlled by pro-Turkish groups, mass protests were once again held by local residents. Demonstrators are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and the actions of the head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who has actually seized power in Idlib.

▪️At the same time, Syrian aviation continues to strike militant-controlled areas in Aleppo province. Artillery and FPV drones are also hitting targets, but offensive actions are out of question.

▪️Government forces are also attacking targets near the border of Idlib and Hama provinces. Syrian Arab Army troops struck targets in the vicinity of Al Enkawi.

▪️In southern Syria, Russian Aerospace Forces struck militant transit sites in one of the hard-to-reach ridges. According to Syrian sources, several groups of militants from the U.S.-controlled area near Al Tanf were eliminated.

▪️Tensions continue to rise in Daraa province as unknown militants blew up a Syrian Arab Army patrol. Three Syrian Army lieutenants were killed, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.