ISIS carries out a counterattack on SDF sites east of Deir Ezzor initiating it by detonating 2 booby-trapped vehicles

Deir Ezzor Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the clashes continue at a violent pace within the last enclave of the “Islamic State” organization on the eastern banks of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, between members of the organization against the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition forces, amid more airstrikes by the International Coalition warplanes on the “Islamic State” organization’s-controlled areas, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a counterattack has been carried out by members of the organization since this morning on sites of the Syria Democratic Forces in al-Baghuz Foqani area, amid violent explosions caused by the detonating at least 2 booby-trapped vehicles by the organization, and confirmed information about more casualties in the ranks of both parties.
In the same context, the Syrian Observatory learned 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, while the Syrian Observatory documented more casualties in the ranks of both parties, where it rose to 61 at least -one of them is a field commander of Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces- the number SDF members killed since the 10th of September 2018, and in rose to at least 97, the number of fighters of the “Islamic State” organization who were killed in these clashes, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation, and because of information about other casualties.

The Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from a number of reliable sources, which confirmed to the SOHR that 2 columns of the International Coalition one of them includes 5 mine sweepers, and another one includes 9 Hummer vehicles, headed today morning and afternoon, Tuesday the 18th of September 2018, to the contact lines with the “Islamic State” organization, in the last enclave under its control in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and this is coincided with ongoing 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 the enclave which is located on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, and the violent clashes are accompanied by renewed shelling by the International Coalition and SDF, amid exchange of targeting in the clash areas between the latter against the organization, the SOHR also monitored heavy overflight of the International Coalition’s warplanes over the area, and their targeting from time to time, to ISIS controlled areas and positions in the same enclave.

These clashes resulted in the fall of more human losses, where the Syrian Observatory monitored in the past 24 hours the death of 5 fighters at least of the Syria Democratic Forces and of Deir Ezzor Military Council operating under their banner, while 8 members of the organization were killed in the same fighting, and the death toll is expected to increase due to the presence of injured cases in serious conditions, raising the number of the members of the Syria Democratic Forces who have been killed since the 10th of September 2018, to at least 55 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 89, 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 reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the fighting is still violent and the battles witness difficulties as a result of the intensity of tunnels which the organization depends on, and which had been dug before the military operations in this enclave started, and the Syria Democratic Forces depend on the advancement operations during the daytime and leave their places during the nighttime or retreat for fear of counterattacks that are carried out by booby trapped vehicles and suicide bombers, and the reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the organization was observed bringing military reinforcements and equipment from the west of the Euphrates transporting them to its last enclave in the east of the Euphrates, while the sources confirmed that the International Coalition’s warplanes deliberately delay their strikes for fear of carrying out massacres against the citizens remained in ISIS last enclave in the east of the Euphrates, the Syrian Observatory published, that it monitored 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 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 set 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.