Complete battle update from Deir Ezzor

For over a week now, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has been attempting to capture the remaining sites in northwestern Deir Ezzor, despite the fierce resistance from the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) infantry units and the powerful airstrikes by the Russian Air Force.

Initially, ISIS was able to capture several important sites from the Syrian Arab Army in northwestern Deir Ezzor, including the Ayyash storage facility and most of the Al-Baghayliyah District that is located along the western banks of the Euphrates River.

These ISIS gains in northwestern Deir Ezzor were coupled with the capture of Jabal Al-Thurdeh (Thurdeh Mountains) near the 137th Artillery Brigade’s headquarters.

However, once these sites were captured early last week, the weather began to clear up around this desert province; this paved the way for the Russian and Syrian Air Forces to pound ISIS’ advancing militants around the provincial capital.

The Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Artillery Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division was able to capture several sites in Jabal Al-Thurdeh, including the imperative hilltop of Tal Kroum.

On Sunday morning, ISIS attempted to renew their offensive in the Al-Baghayliyah District in order to capture Al-Jazeera University and the Al-Firat Hotel; however, the Russian airstrikes proved too much for the terrorist group, as they retreated to the Radio Broadcast Tower.

According to a military source from the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard, the Syrian Armed Forces killed over 20 enemy combatants at Al-Jazeera University, while also launching a counter-attack to clear the northern flank.

Currently, clashes are still ongoing between the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIS in the northern secto