The battle of Deir Ezzor rages again with intensifying air strikes on the vicinity of the city and its countryside and the regime forces carry out an attack towards the Military Airport

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that a second convoy of humanitarian aid is expected to enter Deir Ezzor city and it includes dozens of trucks which are carrying food and medical aid, detergents and other relief substances, after entering a convoy yesterday included dozens of trucks which arrived in the city through the corridor which was opened by the regime forces in the minefield, which is about 10 meters wide, and leads to the Brigade 137 in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, then to the besieged bloc in the north-west section of Deir Ezzor city, amid the resentment of the citizens because the regime authorities transported materials coming within the convoy, to “the governmental warehouses” to start selling them.

This anticipation of the entry of relief materials into the city, which has been besieged for more than 32 months, by the “Islamic State” organization, and suffers from the lack of a lot of food and medical substances, comes in conjunction with intensive air strikes by Russian warplanes as well as the regime’s warplane which are targeting areas in the vicinity of the Brigade 137, and in Jabal Al-Thardah area and the vicinity of the Military Airport, and in the area which separates between the bloc of Deir Ezzor Military Airport and the bloc of Al-Jorah, Al-Qosur and the Brigade 137, amid violent clashes in Al-Maqaber area between the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them on one hand, and the members of the “Islamic State” organization on the other, in areas in the vicinity of Al-Maqaber area and other places in the area, accompanied by clashes in the vicinity of Panorama roundabout area, following the arrival of military reinforcements of several equipment and supplies to the regime forces, also Al-Shawla town is witnessing clashes between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities on one hand, and the members of the organization on the other, amid setting on fire of oil wells by the latest, in the south of Deir Ezzor – Al-Sukhnah – Damascus Road, which is the main artery of Deir Ezzor city, where the regime forces are trying to take the control, to let more convoys of humanitarian aid to enter, and to start to allow citizens to enter and exit from and to Deir Ezzor city, and confirmed information about killing more members in the ranks of the both parties.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Thursday the gap which was opened by the regime forces to reach the Brigade 137, was made through the minefield which was planted by the “Islamic State” organization previously in the vicinity of the Brigade 137, where the corridor is only 10 meters wide, while the violent fighting is still continuing between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities on one hand, and the members of the “Islamic State” organization on the others, in areas in the vicinity of Al-Shawla village on Deir Ezzor – Al-Sukhnah Road, in an attempt by the regime forces to take the control of hills and positions in the vicinity of the village and its outskirts, preparing for controlling them, and the clashes are accompanied by intensive violent shelling by the regime forces and by the Russian as well as the regime’s warplanes and helicopters on the clash areas, and information about more casualties in the ranks of the both parties.

Also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Thursday the 7th of September 2017, that an aid convoy consisting of tens of trucks managed to arrive to Brigade 137, located at the outskirts of Deir Ezzor city, after the regime forces had managed to secure the passage leading to the area and expand the gap, which they created during the past 48 hours. This followed intensive shelling and violent clashes between the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian militiamen, on one hand and ISIS on the other in areas in the vicinity of the Brigade. More trucks are expected to enter the area during the upcoming, amid the regime forces’ continued efforts to dismantle the mines and expand the gap. ISIS, on the other hand, continue their attempts to block the gap and impose full siege again on the Brigade which is linked to the area besieged in the northwestern part of Deir Ezzor city.

This continued fighting in the vicinity of Brigade 137 is accompanied by violent clashes between the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, on one hand and ISIS on the other on Deir Ezzor – Al-Sukhnah road. The SOHR learned that such violent fighting is concentrated in the vicinity of Al-Shola area, amid intensive shelling by the regime forces and warplanes and helicopters which have been targeting Al-Shola area and the vicinity of Al-Sukhnah – Palmyra road with tens of airstrikes since dawn today, Thursday the 9th of September. Meanwhile, the regime forces are trying to expand their scope of control in the vicinity of the road to have it fully secured against the counter attacks carried out by ISIS on the area. The SOHR observed that the regime forces managed to minimize the area separating them from Al-Panorama Roundabout to about 25 kilometers after ISIS had previously managed to force them to retreat to Kabajeb area of which they had taken full control during the past few days.

And the SOHR documented the death of at least 29 members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen, including 4 officers at least. On the other hand, it documented the death of at least 72 ISIS members, including 16 who blew up themselves using explosive belts and 7 using booby-trapped vehicles. In addition, the intensive shelling, violent fighting and bombings caused the injury of tens of members of both parties, with a varied degree of severity. Thus, the death toll is still likely to rise.