Fierce fighting continues in the east of the Euphrates between SDF against ISIS and the aerial and ground shelling and clashes raises to 44, the number of fighters who were killed in more than 24 hours
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of the violent combat operations, in the enclave which is controlled by the organization at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; the violent clashes are still continuing between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition against the members of the “Islamic State” organization, where the clashes are concentrated in Al-Baghuz area, and in Al-Susah area, as a result of a counterattack by the organization on the area and its ability to advance in positions and posts at the outskirts of Al-Baghuz area, where the clashes were accompanied by bombings as members of the organization blew themselves up using booby trapped vehicles and explosive belts, amid exchange of targeting on the clash areas between the both parties, while the Syrian Observatory monitored bombardment by the International Coalition’s warplanes on areas in the enclave under the organization’s control, where one of the strikes targeted a house in Abu Al-Hasan area in the same enclave, at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, which resulted in killing 10 members of the “Islamic State” organization, while the counterattacks, heavy shelling, and clashes resulted in the fall of more human losses in the ranks of the both parties, raising to 33, the number of ISIS members who were killed in more than 24 hours, while it rose to 11 at least, the number of casualties in the ranks of the SDF who where killed in these clashes, also the airstrikes targeted several areas in Hajin and its vicinity and other areas in ISIS last enclave in the east of the Euphrates River.
And with the fall of more casualties, it rose to at least 203, the number of members of the organization who were killed in the ongoing clashes and the Coalition’s strikes, and it rose to at least 109, the number of members who have been killed of the Syria Democratic Forces since the start of military operations on the 10th of September 2018, one of whom has served as a field commander in Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces, 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.
It is noteworthy that the reliable sources also confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that forces of Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces, are positioned in the first lines facing the “Islamic State” organization after the withdrawal of YPG and replacing them by al-Sh’aytat fighters; and then the withdrawal of the last mentioned and the position of Deir Ezzor Military Council in the area, of which the Organization intensely planted with mines, where the Organization deliberately planted laser mines that strained the advancing forces and caused significant casualties, where the sources confirmed that the mines, their sensitivity, and intensity in the last enclave of the Organization, have injured tens of fighters with varying severity and amputations, also the “Islamic State” organization is relying on the tunnel tactic, where fighters confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that they -in several repeated cases- had advanced in areas in the ISIS-enclave east of Euphrates, to be surprised by members of the organization attacking them from the back lines of SDF members who advanced in the area, where ISIS members infiltrate through tunnels to the rear lines of the Syria Democratic Forces, which constituted a state of apprehension of any advancing in the area, and increased the carefulness of the attacking forces supported by the International Coalition during any attack, also the targeting operations which is carried out by the organization is carried out through very small groups of snipers and guided shoulder-mounted missiles, targeting the Syria Democratic Forces and the advancing members and paralyzing their advancement and stopping it for as long as possible, also, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources, that members of the “Islamic State” organization have infiltrated from the last enclave of the Organization east of Euphrates; to its west banks, where the regime forces, the Iranian forces, and their loyal gunmen are controlling the area, where they were monitored and tolerated by the International Coalition Forces who are attacking the last enclave of the Organization.