Syrian Army makes ISIS pay heavy price for upholding Deir Ezzor siege

Over 30 jihadist insurgents were neutralized on Tuesday as a new round of clashes broke out with entrenched soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

Due to aerial sorties alone, an estimated 20 ISIS militants – including two confirmed field commanders – were wiped out by Russian and Syrian air raids on the towns of Baghiliyah, Bo Omar and Al-Huwyqah which all edge Deir Ezzor city. One airstrike even reduced Bo Omar’s so-called ‘Military Management Building Area’ to rubble after an informant notified Major General Issam Zahreddine that the facility functioned as a regional ISIS command center.

Meanwhile, SAA infantry units stationed in the pocket at Deir Ezzor Airbase managed to fight back against the Islamic State after receiving a large airdrop of guided missiles in the morning.

The armaments were put to work immediately, resulting in the destruction of a 23 mm machine-gun position and immobilization of an ISIS tank on the airfield’s southwestern flank. Furthermore, a BMP-1 vehicle was destroyed on the nearby Thardah mountain after which artillery units pounded the burning vehicle, killing some 10 ISIS militants in the process.

Although ferocious skirmishes continued as usual with darkness settling over Deir Ezzor, neither side managed to gain any ground on Tuesday.