After more than 8 months of siege… the regime forces with Russian support open its first gap to Deir Ezzor airbase and 3 neighborhoods connected to it
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from several reliable sources that the regime forces supported by loyal gunmen of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities and with the participation of Russian Special Forces, were able to achieve a strategic advancement, where the forces who are advancing from the side of the block connected to the Brigade 137 through the cemetery area to Deir Ezzor airbase, and were able to open the first gap in the airbase, where the first advancing members met the trapped members after violent clashes, and the regime forces were able under a cover of air, artillery and rocket bombardment to control the area that separates the block controlled by the regime forces and the area connected to the Deir Ezzor airbase, which is composed of the neighborhoods of al-Tahtouh and Harabesh and large parts of Al-Resafa area in the southeastern section of the city, and the part connected to the Brigade 137 which is composed of Jam’eyyat al-Zohur and the neighborhoods of al-Jurah and al-Qosur and parts of the neighborhoods Rashdiyyah and Al-Hwiqa, as well as parts of the neighborhoods Al-Jbila and al-Mowazzafin in the southwestern section of the city, and the process of un-besieging the airbase took about 24 hours, after clashes started by the regime forces at the afternoon of Friday the 8th of September 2017.
While the clashes continue violently between the regime forces supported by the gunmen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against members of the “Islamic State” organization, in the vicinity of the western entrance of Deir Ezzor city, also the regime forces are trying under a cover of Russian aerial bombardment, heavy rocket and artillery shelling to control the western entrance of the city, and remove the siege of the main artery of Deir Ezzor city, which connects it to the Syrian interior, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the violent fighting was accompanied by violent clashes in the western desert of Deir Ezzor, which enabled the regime forces with a cover of intensive Russian bombing and of artillery and rocket shelling by the regime forces to achieve advancement in second area towards the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, after taking the control over Al-Teem oil field, and after taking the control of this field and its oil wells, these forces became 4 km away from the besieged Deir Ezzor Military Airport, they also controlled the road between Deir Ezzor city and Al-Mayadin city which is located in its eastern countryside, thus, Jabal Al-Thardah separates the regime forces and the airport, while the Russian planes are escalating their shelling to secure the firearm cover for the advancement of the ground forces, and there was confirmed information about more casualties and injuries in the ranks of the both parties, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the regime forces is working to carry out an attempt to encircle Deir Ezzor city through advancing from the south-east of the airport and reaching to the road of Aleppo – Deir Ezzor – Al-Bokamal, and the western banks of the Euphrates River, to impose a siege on the organization inside the city, which the organization controls more than half of its area, where the west of Deir Ezzor is witnessing collapse in the ranks of the members of the organization, amid continuous attempts by the regime forces to cut all the ways to prevents supplies to enter Deir Ezzor city, and to prevent ISIS to bring military reinforcements from Al-Mayadin city, which is the capital of the “Al-Khair State”.