The death of 21 fighters in violent clashes between SDF against ISIS raises to more than 230, the number of casualties in the ranks of both parties in 16 days of battles
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the eastern banks of the Euphrates River are witnessing continuation of the military operations which have escalated since the dawn of Tuesday the 25th of September 2018, where the Syrian Observatory monitored violent clashes that took place in more than one front, and they were concentrated in the areas of Al-Baghuz and Al-Shajlah and both fronts of Al-Susah and Hajin, where violent clashes took place between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition against the members of the “Islamic State” organization, in Hajin area as a result of a counterattack by the organization which resulted in the outbreak of fighting between the members of SDF and the fighters of the organization, accompanied by strikes by the International Coalition which targeted the positions of the organization, the SOHR also monitored violent clashes between the both parties in the areas of Al-Baghuz and Al-Shajlah which is adjacent to it, through which the SDF managed to achieve advancement in the area and take the control of Al-Shajlah area and other points in its vicinity, followed by sweeping operations to the area in order to clear it of mines and search for members of the organization hiding in the area, and the violent clashes were accompanied by airstrikes by the International Coalition and shelling by the SDF as well as exchange of targeting in the clash areas.
The violent clashes in their 16th consecutive day, resulted in the fall of more human losses in the ranks of the both parties, where the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 6 members at least of the Syria Democratic Forces who were killed in the today’s clashes, while at least 15 members of the organization were killed, raising, in turn, the number of the members of the Syria Democratic Forces who have been killed since the 10th of September, to at least 83 members one of whom has served as a field commander in Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces, while it rose to at least 149, the number of members of the organization who were killed in these clashes, while the death toll is expected to increase due to the presence of information about other casualties as well as the presence of injured cases in serious conditions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that a part of the Syria Democratic Forces of Hajin town are still refusing to go to fight the organization on the fronts of al-Baghuz and al-Susah protesting against stopping the military operations towards their Hajin town, while the other part of Hajin town are still fighting the Organization in other fronts, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published this morning that the military operations of the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition Forces continue at the expense of the “Islamic State” organization in the last enclave of ISIS in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the continuation of clashes between both parties at a varying pace, accompanied by aerial bombardment carried out occasionally by the International Coalition warplanes, in addition to rocket shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces on sites of the organization, and reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the advancement of SDF and the International Coalition in al-Baghuz area was hindered by trenches and tunnels that have been dug up by the Organization in orchards and fields in the area earlier, and also due to the laser mines that cannot be by seen by eyes which were planted by members of the Organization and injured many SDF members, in addition to the usual mines that were planted extensively in scattered areas controlled by the organization such as homes, roads, fields, and orchards, the sources added that the suicide and surprise attacks carried out by members of the “Islamic State” organization are also hindering the advancement, where the majority of the organization’s members are of Asian nationalities and the organization is carrying out surprise and suicidal operations in a few numbers that does not exceed 5 members and they get active in the evening, which prompted the Syria Democratic Forces to stop their military operations at night, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also learned that a mine sweeper belongs to the International Coalition Forces was damaged days ago as a result of the explosion of a barrel planted underground by the “Islamic State” organization; during the mine-clearing operation in the area.