Not more than 24 hours after the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) were repelled at the Deir Ezzor Military Airport and the village of Al-Muri’iya, the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Artillery Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division and the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard launched a simultaneous counter-assault inside the provincial capital, where they would target the terrorist group’s main supply route to their entrenched fighters at the eastern flank of the airport.
This powerful counter-assault began at dawn on Tuesday morning, when the SAA’s 137th and 104th Brigades stormed the Ghassan ‘Abboud and Sayouf Squares of Deir Ezzor City, where they confronted a large contingent from ISIS in fierce combat at the nearby buildings that overlook this area.
Following these violent firefights, the Syrian Armed Forces were able to break-through ISIS’ frontline defenses at the Ghassan ‘Abboud and Sayouf Squares, killing over 25 enemy combatants and destroying four of their armored vehicles that included a BMP, before they were able to assert full-control over these areas in the provincial capital’s northern sector.
In addition to their attacks in northern Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Armed Forces – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) and tribal fighters – targeted ISIS’ positions at the southeastern perimeter of the Al-Rashadiyah District, resulting in their advance near the Islamic Center; this area is mostly under the control of the Syrian Armed Forces.
ISIS attempted to mount a counter-attack at the Al-Kanamat, Al-Sina’a, and Al-‘Arfa Districts inside the provincial capital; however the assault was unable to muster-up any gains for the terrorist group, as rain and thunderstorms did not provide them the necessary cover they hoped for on Tuesday.
A number of clashes were also reported between the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIS at the Al-Jubeileh, Al-Hamidiyah, Sheikh Yasseen, Al-Husseiniyeh, and the Old Airport Districts of Deir Ezzor City.
