Syria Iraq Update June 23. From South Front.

Admiral Essen, Admiral Grigorovich frigates and Krasnodar submarine of the Russian Navy have launched six Kalibr cruise missiles on ISIS targets in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the submarine performed a submerged launch of the cruise missiles.

“As a result of a surprise saturation missile attack, Daesh [ISIS] command posts, as well as large ammunition depots, have been destroyed in the vicinity of the town of Akerbat in the province of Hama, where a militant arsenal detonated after a pinpoint hit by the Kalibr cruise missile,” the ministry said. “The remaining Daesh [ISIS] terrorist fighters and targets have been destroyed by Russian Aerospace Forces bombers’ airstrikes.”

This map provides a general look at the military situation in Syria and Iraq on June 23, 2017. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are still storming the ISIS-held city of Raqqah.

Syrian government forces are advancing against ISIS in the countryside of Palmyra and in the western part of the province of Raqqah.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued an advance south of Raqqah, capturing Al-Kamb from ISIS.

If the SDF seizes Mustajid Naqib east of al-Kamb, ISIS units will be fully encircled inside the city. ISIS launched a series of counter-attacks in Raqqah but didn’t regain any large areas.

Government forces have captured the al-Waer dam northeast of al-Zquf at the Syrian-Iraqi border. The Syrian Arab Army and its allies have been working on expanding their presence in the southeastern desert near the border with Iraq.

The strategic goal of the effot is to regain the strategic border town of al-Bukamal. The army is likely going to make an attempt to set a foothold in the T2 airport area for this push.