Official Dismisses Collapse of Deir Ezzur Airbase, Stresses Army’s Fierce Reaction to ISIL Attacks

“Despite ISIL’s penetration in 22 positions in Southern Deir Ezzur, the army operations to drive them out have prevented them from establishing their military presence,” the official told FNA on Tuesday.

He underlined that the security ring of the Syrian army around Deir Ezzur airbase is highly strong, and said that they have been resisting against the ISIL for over two and a half years and didn’t allow its collapse and “the collapse of the airbase now will be impossible”.

The official said that the Syrian troops’ aerial, artillery and missile attacks against the ISIL have blocked the terrorists’ advance in the region despite their massive offensive against the army in the past few days.

The latest reports from the region said on Monday that the Syrian army troops targeted ISIL’s movements and gatherings in Eastern and Southeastern Deir Ezzur, destroying their bases and inflicting tens of casualties on the militants.

The army units targeted ISIL’s bases near a cannery factory in the town of al-Mayadeen in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, destroying several bases and killing 18 foreign-national terrorists.

The army soldiers also hit hard a base of ISIL’s Hasaba (security and monitoring) Forces in al-Labod neighborhood in the town of Mohassan East of Deir Ezzur city, leaving a number of Tunisian terrorists dead or wounded.

The army men also destroyed three ISIL positions near Deir Ezzur and al-Tharda mountain that were home to a large stockpile of arms and ammunition and two terrorist groups.

The army troops also targeted ISIL’s concentration centers near Panorama, in al-Raqqa bridge, near al-Teyam oilfield, and in the villages of Kabajeb, al-Hosseiniyeh, al-Janineh, al-Baqaliyeh, al-Thardah mountain and to the South of Deir Ezzur airbase, leaving tens of ISIL terrorists dead and a convoy of their vehicles destroyed.

Meantime, the ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in a third round of massive attacks on government forces’ positions in different regions of Deir Ezzur.

ISIL stormed Syrian army positions for the third time with hundreds of militants and heavy weapons to approach Deir Ezzur airport, but the army soldiers warded off their attack.

In the meantime, fierce clashes are underway between the army men and ISIL terrorists near Deir Ezzur airbase and al-Thardah mountain.

A field source said that two groups of ISIL and their military hardware were completely destroyed and almost 100 militants were killed or wounded in clashes that erupted last night and this morning.