After the killing of tens of fighters…the eastern bank of the Euphrates witnesses ongoing violent fighting between SDF against ISIS along with heavy shelling by the International Coalition with attempts by each party to achieve advancement at the expense of the other
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued violent clashes between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition against the members of the “Islamic State” organization of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, in areas in ISIS last enclave on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, and the Syrian Observatory monitored the fighting concentrating in the areas of Al-Baghuz, Al-Susah and Hajin, after the SDF and the Coalition managed to achieve advancement and enter Al-Baghuz town, and hold their control in a number of points in addition to their advancement in Al-Susah area and their advancement in Hajin town, as well, where they took the control of points in it and held their presence, while these held points are subjected to counterattacks by the members of the organization, which depends on 3 methods to defend the area, the 1st is the mine network planted before in the area, the 2nd is the tunnels that facilitate their movement in the shadow of the heavy shelling and the ongoing presence of the International Coalition’s warplanes, and the 3rd is counterattacks by booby trapped vehicles, explosive belts and clashes.
The Syrian Observatory monitored in the past hours, artillery shelling by the International Coalition by tens of artillery and rocket shells, which caused further material damage and destruction to the infrastructure, amid confirmed information about the fall of human losses in the ranks of the both parties, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that it monitored in the recent 48 hours, that the SDF managed to achieve advancement inside Al-Baghuz town along with their attack and advancement in Al-Susah area in the enclave which is controlled by the organization, on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, and the clashes were accompanied by suicidal bombings by the organizations where members of the organizations blew themselves up using explosive belts and booby trapped vehicles, amid heavy shelling by the International Coalition, the French forces and the SDF, on ISIS controlled areas and positions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in the past 48 hours, the death of 24 members at least of the “Islamic State” organization as a result of bombardment by the International Coalition’s warplanes, the artillery and rocket shelling and the suicidal bombings, and the SOHR also documented the death of 10 fighters of Deir Ezzor Military Council and of the Syria Democratic Forces, of those who were killed in the past 48 hours in the exchange of targeting and clashes, raising the number of the members of the Syria Democratic Forces who have been killed since the 10th of September 2018, to at least 50 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 81, 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 also monitored the SDF and the International Coalition transporting tens of people and families to Al-Bahra Camp which contains more than 100 tents, in the countryside of Hajin town, and which was sat up by the SDF and Coalition, in order to provide shelters for the displaced families and the families of the members of the “Islamic State” organizations, where it is expected that the displaced people will be hosted in this camp in the incoming few days, the SOHR also obtained information from reliable sources, which confirmed that more than 100 members of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), headed to Hajin and its vicinity in order to hold points of control after the SDF advanced in the area, while the Syrian Observatory published about 72 hours ago, that it obtained information from several reliable sources, who confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the “Islamic State” organization relies on its military operations in the enclave under its control on the eastern banks of Euphrates river, which is witnessing an attack by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, relies on 3 major elements to repel this attack, which are: the tunnels that were dug by the “Islamic State” organization at the bottom of the towns which link them to each other, also they connect them to the front line and to the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas in the vicinity of the enclave, giving ISIS the freedom of movement without being bombarded by warplanes of the Coalition or targeted by the ground forces operating in the area, in addition to relying on a dense mine network planted before the launch of the military operation on the 10th of September 2018, also the organization relies on counterattacks against the Syria Democratic Forces operating in the area in an effort to inflict as much casualties as possible.
Also the Syrian Observatory received information from several sources who said that members of the “Islamic State” organization have infiltrated through Euphrates River to its western banks, where the areas there are controlled by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities. The reliable sources confirmed to the observatory that after the infiltration; the members are moving to the desert of Deir Ezzor, to the areas of presence and control of the Organization, as happened before in June and April 2018, where 400 fighter of the “Islamic State” organization of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, have crossed from the enclave east Euphrates -which is surrounded by the Syria Democratic Forces who are supported by the International Coalition- to the west of Euphrates River in the form of groups, where they crossed through al-Shafa area, after intense shelling by the “Islamic State” Organization on areas controlled by the regime and its loyal gunmen west of Euphrates River.
Link of a high resolution map of distributing the conflicting powers in the east of the Euphrates River in the Eastern sector of Deir Ezzor province
http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/d9f2/vo9hv4zmfxgfzu9zg.jpg
