48 hours after 2 massacres in it…the International Coalition and SDF storm Al-Susah town in the east of the Euphrates and take the control of parts of it amid ongoing fierce fighting under a cover of heavy shelling
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition are continuing their military operations, against ISIS last enclave in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, hours after they were stopped due to the fogs and bad weather and the reliable sources confirmed that as soon as the weather had got better, the SDF resumed their attack in a renewed attempt to end the presence of the organization that fights desperately to defend its last presence in the east of the Euphrates, and the SOHR monitored violent clashes between the both parties in Al-Susah town and its outskirts, at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, amid advancement by the SDF in the town, where they took the control of parts of it, and the sources confirmed that hit-and-run clashes are taking place in the area, where the SDF are not able so far to hold their control over the areas they have advanced into, amid confirmed information about casualties and wounded in the ranks of the both parties.
The sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the Syria Democratic Forces in Al-Baghuz area, its vicinity and the rest areas of ISIS last enclave in the east of the Euphrates, face difficulties in holding their control, as a result of the booby trapped vehicles, snipers and the heavily-planted mines, where they are sometimes forced to withdraw as it is difficult for them to hold their control, the SOHR also documented on Thursday and Friday, that the International Coalition’s warplanes carried out 2 massacres in Al-Susah town in the last enclave left under the control of the organization at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, and in the details monitored by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; it rose to at least 63, the number of casualties of citizens and members of the “Islamic State” organization, who were killed on the 18th and 19th of October 2018, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the death of 18 Iraqi citizens of the families of the organization including 7 children and 4 women, who were killed in the bombardment which targeted a mosque and a house in Al-Susah town, on the 18th of October 2018, in addition to the death of 11 members of the organization who were killed in the same strikes, while 23 citizens (6 citizens of them are Syrians and the rest are Iraqis) including 3 children, were killed on the 19th of October 2018, as a result of strikes that targeted an institution for Quran memorization drill and houses in its vicinity in Al-Susah town, while 11 members of the organization were killed in the same strikes, and the death toll is expected to increase due to the presence of injured cases in serious conditions.
Also, the Syrian Observatory published today, Monday the 22nd of October 2018, that it monitored a calm in the last enclave of the “Islamic State” Organization at the eastern banks of Euphrates River, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the calm has been imposing itself since the evening of the 21st of October 2018, at the eastern banks of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the sources confirmed that the calm includes shelling and clashes between the “Islamic State” organization against the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition, in areas at the contact lines between both parties in the vicinity and outskirts of the last enclave of the Organization east of Euphrates, while the area is witnessing bad weather conditions, and the sources confirmed that the aforementioned area may witness the return of clashes and bombardments at any moment; because the fog is forming in the area, amid fears of new counterattacks by the “Islamic State” Organization on the area, this calm comes after 42 days of military operations that started on the 10th of October 2018, where the Syrian Observatory monitored violent clashes, the most violent of which were what the area witnessed in the last two weeks, as a result of the bad weather conditions and the sandstorm which was exploited by the “Islamic State” organization, where it carried out counter and violent attacks that killed members of both parties, and after which about 300 persons of 130 families were abducted, including at least 90 women of different nationalities, the majority of whom are nationalities of the former Soviet Union whose fate is still unknown, where the organization separated the women from the rest of the abductees, amid fears for their lives of executions that may be carried out individually or collectively by ISIS, and the abduction took place from al-Bahra camp, where the Syrian Observatory previously monitored the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition moving tens of people and families to al-Bahra camp, which consists of tens of tents in the countryside of Hajin town, where it was established by SDF and the Coalition with the purpose of sheltering displaced families in addition to families of members of the “Islamic State” organization.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the fall of more casualties of the Syria Democratic Forces and the “Islamic State” organization, where the Syrian Observatory documented since the outbreak of clashes in the eastern Euphrates on the 10th of September 2018, the death of 232 at least, one of them was a field commander of Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces, they were killed in clash against ISIS, and at least 419 fighters and commanders of the “Islamic State” Organization, they were killed in the clashes and the strikes of the International Coalition and SDF since the start of the military operations on the 10th of September 2018, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation, also the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 2 girls in shelling by SDF on the ISIS-enclave, and 5 citizens were killed in bombing by the International Coalition on the same enclave, in addition to 41 A civilians including 10 children and 4 citizen women, were killed in airstrikes by the International Coalition on a mosque and Koranic institute in al-Susah town within ISIS-enclave at the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the majority of whom are Iraqi nationals including families of members of the “Islamic State” organization.
Intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that forces of Deir Ezzor Military Council of the Syria Democratic Forces; are positioning in the first lines in the confrontation of the “Islamic State” Organization, after the withdrawal of YPG and replacing them by al-Sh’aytat and then the withdrawal of the latter, and that’s when Deir Ezzor Military Council positioned on the contact lines with the ISIS-controlled enclave, which planted the enclave with mines intensely, including the laser mines that strained the attacking and advancing forces and caused significant casualties, where the sources confirmed that the mines and their sensitivity and intensity in the last enclave of the Organization have injuring tens of fighters of varying severity and caused amputations for some of them, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources that tens of members of the “Islamic State” Organization have infiltrated from the last enclave of ISIS east of Euphrates to the western bank of the river, where the areas there are controlled by the regime forces, the Iranian forces, and their loyal gunmen, and that they are monitored and tolerated by the International Coalition Forces who are attacking the last enclave of the Organization, while the Syrian Observatory monitored the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition transferring tens of people and families to al-Bahra camp, which consists of tens of tents in the countryside of the Hajin town, which was established by SDF and the Coalition to accommodate the displaced families and families of members of the “Islamic State” Organization, where it is expected for the displaced people to be accommodated in the camp in the next few days, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from reliable sources who confirmed that more than 100 members of the internal Kurdish security forces “Asayish”; went to Hajin town and around it; to hold the control of points in the area after the advancement of the Syria Democratic Forces there.
The Syrian Observatory published previously that the prisons of the organization in its last enclave at the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, still contain hundreds of prisoners distributed in Hajin and Al-Shaafa, where there are 2 prisons in Al-Shaafa containing more than 1350 prisoners including members of the organization mostly of foreign nationalities with various charges such as security charges, and in Hajin town, there are about 800 prisoners accused of various charges, and the Syrian Observatory published previously, that it learned from reliable sources, that the Coalition Forces continue their intelligence search for a major tunnel in Hajin area, where the sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the French Forces in particular have obtained incomplete information about a tunnel for the organization in Hajin area, which is about 8 km long and the cars and vehicles can go through it, where the French Forces are trying to get full information about the tunnel and its location, so that the International Coalition can start the military operation, also obtained information from reliable sources reported that there are more than 65 first-rank commanders of the “Islamic State” organization in Hajin town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the majority of them are of Iraqi nationality in addition to foreign nationalities.