Syrian desert | Nearly 20 ISIS members, regime soldiers and NDF militiamen killed in attacks and fierce clashes in western Deir Ezzor

Fierce clashes are still underway between ISIS members on one hand, and regime forces and loyal militias, in areas in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor in the Syrian desert. Meanwhile, SOHR activists have documented great losses in the ongoing shelling and clashes since yesterday.

 

14 regime soldiers and NDF militiamen, including the NDF commander of the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, in addition to the killing of five ISIS members. The death toll is expected to rise because of the serious injuries of some casualties, while unconfirmed reports suggest there are more casualties.

 

Yesterday, all contacts with a group of the regime-backed National Defence Forces (NDF), including a commander, were lost and the fate of group’s militiamen remained unknown.

 

Since the 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 689 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 140 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by the “Islamic State”, west of Euphrates in the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Al-Suwaidaa.

 

Also four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds and four other people were killed and documented by SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. While 291 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.