Syrian Army Fends off ISIL Attack on Deir Ezzur Airbase

“The ISIL launched a powerful assault on the Deir Ezzur Military Airport after struggling to advance at the 137th Artillery Brigade’s headquarters outside the city’s walls,” the army said.

“The ISIL struck the Syrian army’s defensive positions from two different axes in order to spread out the pro-government forces and weaken their defenses, but the Syrian defenders of the airbase thwarted the attacks,” the army added.

“The first axis the ISIL terrorists attacked on this morning was the village of al-Jafreh, which is situated at the Southeastern perimeter of the airbase,” the army went on to say.

The army also said that the ISIL terrorists also attempted to advance from the Southern side of the airport.

“Despite the large assault, there have been no reported advances by the ISIL thus far,” the army pointed out.

The Syria armed forces have been heavily pounding the ISIL positions across the province in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, the Syrian army troops launched mop-up operation in the surroundings of Baqaliyeh village in the Western part of Deir Ezzur province to hunt ISIL militants and defuse terrorist-planted bombs in the battlefield.

“The Syrian soldiers, who have captured Baqaliyeh and al-Ruwad, have launched cleansing operation to purge the battlefield of ISIL terrorists,” an army officer told FNA.

“The army’s engineering units also have started to defuse scores of bombs and other types of explosive devices planted by the terrorists in the residential houses.”