The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Negotiation between dignitaries and ISIS to handover most of the east of the Euphrates to SDF

The regime forces advance in the western banks of the Euphrates River after they were forced to withdraw from the vicinity of the largest oilfield in Syria and from parts of a nearby town

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the regime forces managed to advance on the western banks of the Euphrates River after controlling a city on the 14th of October 2017, in the east of the Euphrates River, opposite to Al-Mayadeen city, where the regime forces began their violent offensive  on Sunday morning, the 22nd of October, towards the east Al-Mayadeen, and managed to control Al-Quriyah town, which is adjacent to Mahakan town, which was controlled by the regime forces after their control over Al-Mayadeen city, this control came after heavy artillery and aerial shelling on areas in Al-Qurayah, causing more damage to the infrastructure and public facilities and the property of the citizens. There is no information about human losses so far in the ranks of the regime forces and their allied militiamen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities and the ranks of the “Islamic State” organization.

This control and advancement of the regime forces on the western banks of the Euphrates River, following an advancement of the SDF and their control over Al-Omar oil field after a counter attack by ISIS, forced the regime forces to move away from the vicinity and the outskirts of the oilfield. The SOHR received information from several sources that there are mediation between dignitaries from the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and ISIS to convince the latter to hand over, to the SDF, villages, towns and the remaining areas from Khesham area to Hajin town, and area of about 110 kilometers from the eastern banks of the Euphrates, in addition to the whole area remained in the northern and northeastern countryside, which is extended to the countryside Al-Sewar town. And the sources asserted that ISIS prefer handing over the organization-held areas to the SDF instead of handing them over to “the Shiite Militia”, in order to prevent the regime forces from advancing towards these area, and in this case, it is expected that the regime forces will move their military operation to the area of Al-Bukamal and nearby village in its countryside and the western banks of the Euphrates River in order to control these areas.

The SOHR published on the 17th of October that the “Islamic State” organization withdrew from the villages that were under its control in the area between al-Husseiniya village -which is controlled by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them- and Mhimideh village -which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, these villages are: Al-Jninah, Shaqra, Ji’aa, al-Alayna, al-Hesan, Sfireh Foqani and Sfireh Tahtani east of the Euphrates River and northwest of Deir Ezzor city, the sources confirmed that the organization withdrew from these villages towards areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the Syria Democratic Forces have entered several villages and started sweeping where they entered, in conjunction with completing their advancement towards the rest of the villages which are now ISIS-free, thus, the entire northwestern countryside of Deir Ezzor is free from the “Islamic State” organization.

The Sources informed the Syrian Observatory that the withdrawal took place by an unannounced agreement between the organization and the “Jazeera Storm” Operation, by securing a withdrawal corridor for the organization towards its controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, in exchange for getting out of these villages.