Authorities estimate that about 1,500 fighters of the extremist organization are still active in the area.
According to information from Al-Masdar News, the mission was only possible after the the Syrian forces secured the freedom of 19 civilian hostages the jihadists used as their last currency of exchange.
For months, ISIS used these hostages to force the Syrian military to discontinue its operations in the region of Safa, Al-Masdar News reported.
The hostages have been held under jail since July 25, when militants attacked the city of Suwayda and surrounding villages, killing more than 250 people.
Meanwhile, in a separate report by Al-Masdar News, Russian Special Forces have arrived in southern Syria this week to advise the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops currently combating ISIS, a military source told the outlet.
According to Al-Masdar's source in Suwayda city, the Russian Special Forces were deployed to the Al-Safa front where they will be embedded with Syrian troops who are currently engaged in a powerful offensive against the Daesh terrorists.
The source continued that some Russian military personnel were already in the Al-Safa region even before the arrival of the Special Forces; however, most were deployed in northern Syria before this move to Al-Suwayda province.
Their role will be similar to that of the Syrian Army's offensive in Deir Ezzor and Palmyra, the Russian Special Forces will advise the government troops on the ground. They will also provide coordinates to the Russian Aerospace Forces to reveal where ISIS forces are located.
The Russian Special Forces reportedly arrived with the Syrian Arab Army's elite 42nd Brigade (Ghiath Forces) of the 4th Division; they were both in northern Syria prior to this deployment.
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