Syrian Soldiers Make Significant Advance in Breaking ISIL’s Siege on Deir Ezzur Airbase

The Syrian Army has launched a new military operation dubbed “Operation Assad Leap” in Deir Ezzur province, as the pro-government forces plan to lift the ISIL’s siege on the Deir Ezzur Military Airport, South of the 137th Artillery Brigade Base.

According to a military source, the Syrian troops are pushing South of the 137th Artillery Brigade Base towards the strategic Panorama area, while the other pro-gov’t forces push East along the al-Sukhnah-Deir Ezzur Highway.

The source added that the army men took back Aloush hill overlooking al-Maqaber (cemetery) region North of the airbase.

The source further said that the army units drove ISIL out of Jalil and Milad region in areas surrounding al-Maqaber.

In the meantime, the army’s artillery and missile units shelled ISIL’s positions in al-Maqaber, destroying terrorists’ military vehicles and killing their crew.

The country’s Air Force also bombed heavily ISIL’s positions and destroyed their tanks in Tal al-Barouk region West of 137th Artillery Brigade Base, killing all the members of a group of terrorists.

The Russian Defense Ministry declared on Friday that the country’s Air Force targeted a meeting of senior commanders of ISIL near the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur, killing 40 terrorists including four notorious commanders.

The ministry said that almost 40 ISIL terrorists, including four influential warlords, were killed after their meeting in a command center near Deir Ezzur city came under heavy attack of the Russian fighter jets.

The ministry said that on September 5, information was received about a meeting of commanders of terrorist groups at one of the disguised ISIL’s command centers in the vicinity of Deir Ezzur. They planned to discuss the current situation, as well as to work out urgent measures in connection with the rapid offensive of the Syrian government troops on the city.

“After confirming the reconnaissance, two Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft of Russia’s Air Force were scrambled from the Humeimim air base, which made a pinpoint strike with bunker busting bombs. The airstrike destroyed an underground terrorist command center, a telecommunications center and about 40 militants of ISIL,” the statement said.

Four powerful warlords were among those present.

“According to confirmed information, four influential field commanders were among the killed militants, including “the Sharif of Deir Ezzur” Abu Muhammad al-Shimali who was responsible for finance as well as redeployment of new recruits to ISIL training camps,” the statement said.

ISIL’s war minister Gulmurod Khalimov was present as well, the Ministry said.

“The “war minister” of ISIL international terrorist group was at the meeting, and he died from a lethal injury,” the statement said. “Effective actions of the Russian Air Force made it possible to speed up the unblocking of the city of Deir Ezzur and allow the Syrian troops to start its immediate liberation.”

Khalimov was a former Tajik special operations colonel, police commander, and military sniper. He was the commander of a police special operations unit in the Tajik Interior Ministry.