Violent counterattacks were carried out by ISIS in the past 24 hours in the east of the Euphrates and the fierce clashes raise to about 300, the number of casualties of the fighters of ISIS and SDF
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the violent fighting is still continuing between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition against the members of the “Islamic State” organization, at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in the recent 24 hours, violent clashes between the both parties, within the enclave which is controlled by the organization, and the escalation of clashes which came as a result of a counterattack by the organization on positions into which the SDF have advanced, accompanied by detonating booby trapped vehicles by the organization, as well as heavy exchange of targeting, which claimed the lives of more fighters of the both parties, while the SOHR learned that the organization managed to recover a number of posts in Al-Baghuz area, as a result of the violent attack through which the organization is seeking to inflict the largest possible of casualties in the ranks of its opponents, and to prevent the SDF from advancing into the area.
The Syrian Observatory monitored the fall of new casualties in the ranks of the both parties in the past 24 hours, where it rose to 20 at least, the number of ISIS members who were killed in these clashes and detonating booby trapped vehicles as well as the aerial and ground targeting operations by the International Coalition, while it rose to 7 at least, the number of members of the SDF who were killed, raising to at least 190, 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 105, 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.
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.