Syrian army thwarts ISIL attack on Deir Ezzor airport

Army units, with cover provided by the Syrian Air Force, thwarted an attack by ISIL on Deir Ezzor Airport, killing scores of terrorists in the surroundings of Deir Ezzor city and its countryside.

SANA’s correspondent said that the Deir Ezzor Airport garrison, in cooperation with supporting forces, engaged in heavy clashes during the past few hours with terrorist groups from ISIL that attacked in the directions of the eastern barricade of the airport and the al-Jafra-Beit Daghim east of the airport.

He added that the clashes resulted in thwarting the attack, killing and injuring many ISIL terrorists while the remaining ones fled.

The correspondent said that the Air Force destroyed a base for ISIL near Saker gas station in Salhiyet Hatleh north of Deir Ezzor, killing 15 terrorists who were inside.

He went on to say that the Air Force also carried out airstrikes on ISIL bases, movements, and fortified positions in several areas in Deir Ezzor city including al-Tamwin roundabout, al-Kanamat, and the graveyards area, in addition to al-Tharda Mountain and the villages of al-Bghailiye, Maratt, and Khasham in the countryside, killing scores of terrorists and destroying a number of vehicles, some of them equipped with heavy machineguns.

On a relevant note, local sources from Deir Ezzor said that ISIL burned the bodies of many of its dead members in the graveyards area, and that most of the bodies belonged to foreign terrorists.

Accordingly, a military source told SANA that army units shelled gatherings and movements of ISIL terrorists at the triangular area of Palmyra-Khan al-Manqoura road at the far northeastern part of Damascus Countryside at the outskirts of Badiya desert area.

The source added that at least ten terrorists were killed and two vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns were destroyed during the operation.

The source also pointed out that an engineering unit dismantled 14 explosives planted by the terrorists on Qarn al-Kibesh road at the eastern mountains of Qalamoun.

Furthermore, in the eastern countryside of Homs province, army units, in cooperation with supporting forces, established full control over al-Fawaera well south of the T4 airport.

SANA’s correspondent in Homs said that this came after concentrated operations that left scores of ISIL terrorists dead or injured, while the others fled towards the depths of the Badiya desert, adding that the operations also resulted in destroying a number of hideouts, heavy machinery, equipment, and weapons used by the terrorists.

The correspondent said that this new advancement should secure the T4 airport fully and prevent any potential terrorist attack on it.