BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) – The operation by Syrian, Syrian-led and Russian forces to lift the siege on the city of Deir Ezzor (accomplished on September 5) as well as its local military airbase (accomplished on September 9) resulted in the death of hundreds of ISIS militants as well as the destruction of many dozens of terrorist-commandeered tanks and vehicles according to the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In a recently released statement, the Russian MoD claimed that some 450 Islamic State jihadists have been killed so far between the operations of the Syrian Arab Army and its paramilitary allies on the ground and the operations of Syrian and Russian airpower in the skies over Deir Ezzor.
In addition to this, the Russian MoD estimated that the Deir Ezzor offensive by pro-government forces has, up until now, also led to the destruction of 42 technical pickups armed with heavy-caliber guns and five battle tanks belonging to the terrorist group.
Since lifting the siege on the government-held sections of Deir Ezzor city and the Deir Ezor airbase, Syrian and Russian forces are now shifting their attention towards completely trapping jihadist militants inside the ISIS-held parts of the city against the Euphrates River.
Achieving this will then the pave way for further operations by pro-government forces to completely liberate the city.