Hundreds of Fresh Army Soldiers, Hezbollah Fighters Sent to Deir Ezzur to Face ISIL

The source said that while the Syrian and Russian fighter jets have intensified their anti-ISIL combat flights in Deir Ezzur, hundreds of army soldiers and Hezbollah combatants have arrived in the region to take part in an imminent operation to take back the lands lost to the ISIL in the last 24 hours.

The source rejected reports about collapse of the Deir Ezzur airbase, and said, “The ISIL has suffered heavy casualties but due to the huge number of its forces, they are trying hard to approach the airbase.”

Local sources said yesterday that a large number of ISIL’s injured members were transferred to terrorist-held Raqqa city.

Another senior Syrian military official also in remarks earlier today rejected media claims that Deir Ezzur airbase is on the verge of collapse due to ISIL’s repeated offensives, and said the army forces and their allies have resisted against the terrorists for over two years and will continue their counterattacks in future.

“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.