Over the last two weeks, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has advanced deep into the provincial capital of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, as the Syrian Armed Forces and the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) strive to maintain their ground and eventually dissipate the growing terrorist threat inside the city’s walls.
The terrorist group attacked the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) controlled Al-Layalah District on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the capture of almost half of this area after fierce clashes with the latter.
However, on Friday morning, the Syrian Arab Army’s 154th Brigade of the 4th Armored Division – in coordination with the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Shaytat Tribesmen – conducted a counter-assault at Al-Layalah, killing over 30 enemy combatants from ISIS, while taking control of 75 percent of the district – clashes are still ongoing.
In addition to their success at the Al-Layalah District, the Syrian Armed Forces were finally able to repel the ISIS assault on the Al-Hasakah Villas, paving the way for their counter-attack at the Al-Nishwa District on Friday afternoon.
As the Syrian Armed Forces broke-through the ISIS frontlines at Al-Nishwa, the latter reportedly used an American-made TOW anti-tank missile to strike the Syrian Arab Army’s T-72 tank that infiltrated into the southeastern neighborhoods; this resulted in the destruction of the tank and two SAA casualties.
Following the assault on the Al-Nishwa District, the Syrian Armed Forces and the militants from ISIS clashed at the Al-Zuhour and Al-Dawlab Districts in southern Al-Hasakah City, resulting in a series of fierce firefights between the opposing groups.
With the firefights dissipating before nightfall on Friday, the militants from ISIS began to withdrawal from the Al-Rusafah District after a counter-assault by the Syrian Armed Forces killed over 20 enemy combatants.
