Syrian Army Imposes Control over 80sq/km of Deir Ezzur City

“Several military convoys have arrived in Deir Ezzur and the Syrian army is getting ready to take back the remaining areas in the city,” a military source disclosed.

The military source reiterated that the army units have liberated over 80 square kilometers, and said, “Only few districts of Deir Ezzur are under ISIL’s control, but they are under the Syrian army’s siege.”

Meantime, the Syrian army said that it intends to maintain security of civilians in Deir Ezzur before advancing further.

 “Over 80 ISIL positions in al-Baqilieh, Haribsha, Jabajab and the surrounding areas of Panorama have been destroyed,” the source said, adding that a backup convoy of the ISIL that had been sent to the region was targeted and destroyed by the Syrian army.

Several military vehicles of the ISIL were destroyed and a number of others were confiscated while several terrorists were killed in these clashes, he added.

In a relevant development on Tuesday, the Russian military group’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Alexander Lapin, told reporters on Tuesday the Syrian troops are completing the defeat of the ISIL which blocked Deir Ezzur Northern and Southern neighborhoods.

“At the moment the operation to liberate the city continues. The Syrian troops are completing the defeat of the ISIL group which blocked Deir Ezzur’s Northern and Southern neighborhoods,” Lapin said, TASS reported.

He recalled that the city of Deir Ezzur, which used to be besieged by terrorists for more than three years, was unblocked by Syrian troops under the command of General Hassan Suhel on September 5.

“The Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Admiral Essen patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet have destroyed militant command posts and communication hubs, which made it possible to disrupt the management of ISIL units in this area,” the general stressed.

According to Lapin, while developing the offensive, the assault force of General Zahreddine’s Republican Guard unblocked the military airfield where over 1,000 servicemen were surrounded for ten months.

“More than 450 militants, five tanks and 42 pickup trucks with installed large-caliber machine guns were wiped out during the operation. Units of the 5th assault corps advancing from Palmyra through al-Sukhneh entered the city from the southern direction,” he emphasized.