DAMASCUS, SYRIA (8:30 P.M.) – Three villages, a hill and a small air strip were captured by US-backed ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) on Friday as the latter pushed further southwards along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.
With ISIS belligerents heavily outnumbered, outgunned and facing a constant barrage of US airstrikes, the Kurdish-led SDF took control of Kahara Air Base, Al-Jaza village, Al-Hayyan village, Abu Hammam village, and Abu Hammam hill.
This captured area is located little more than 70 kilometers southeast of Deir Ezzor City and represents a large chunk of last ISIS-held territory along the Euphrates River.
Over the past 24 hours alone, a total of 17 ISIS members were neutralized by SDF fighters and US-led coalition airstrikes across southern Deir Ezzor.
Meanwhile, clashes continue around the ISIS-held villages of Kushkiyeh and Siwedan as US-backed forces attempt to expand a vulnerable SDF salient that runs from Hasakah through Deir Ezzor all the way to the southeastern border with Iraq.
This advance is part of the ongoing ‘Al-Jazirah Storm’ offensive, a military campaign that began on September 9 and exploited a simultaneous offensive by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) which had expel ISIS from the provincial capital and over half of Deir Ezzor Province.
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