ISIL Suffers Devastating Losses in Deir Ezzor

With the battle of Al-Hasakah intensifying between the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIL in northeastern Syria, many observers of this Syrian Conflict have shifted their attention away from the volatile Deir Ezzor front, despite the continued bloodshed that has plagued the civilians of this once fertile province located on the vast Euphrates River.

As ISIL continues it full-scale assault on the Syrian Armed Forces’ frontline defenses at the provincial capital of Al-Hasakah, the Deir Ezzor tribes have taken it upon themselves to retaliate against the terrorist group’s brutal reign in the eastern part of the province; this has now developed into a small-scale war between ISIS and the tribal factions.

On Wednesday morning, tribal fighters inside of Al-Qouriyah conducted a powerful assault on the terrorist group’s positions inside this town in east Deir Ezzor, resulting in the death of over 40 enemy combatants from ISIS and the destruction of six armored vehicles that were mounted machine gun turrets; this was an embarrassing defeat for ISIS, as the tribesmen were able to secure much of the town after a series of firefights.

To not be outdone, the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division – in coordination with the 113th Brigade and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – carried out their own assault on the militants from ISIS at the Ghassan ‘Abboud Neighborhood, killing an estimated 45 enemy combatants, while seizing nearly three building blocks after a bloody battle with the terrorist group inside the provincial capital of Deir Ezzor.

In addition to the clashes at the Ghassan ‘Abboud Neighborhood, the Syrian Armed Forces have targeted ISIS at the Al-Rashidiyah, Al-Jubeileh, Al-Kanamat, Sheikh Yasseen, Al-Hamidiyah, Old Airport District, Al-Husseiniyah, and the Al-Sina’a Districts of Deir Ezzor City.