Regime forces expand their scope of control in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor and restore positions they lost 20 months ago

Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: warplanes carried out coincident strikes after the midnight of Wednesday-Thursday on areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and no information about injuries, the violent clashes continued yesterday until after the midnight between the “Islamic State” organization on one hand, and the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, in areas in the outskirts and the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city, and cross sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the regime forces managed to adance in the north-west of the city, and take the control of Al-Rwaad residences and also retake the control of Al-Jazeera University, while the violent clashes are continuing between the both parties, in an attempt by the regime forces to impose their control on the whole of Al-Bighaylyah which has been controlled by the organization since the beginning of 2016, by carrying out an attack on the area in which tens were killed and executed of the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them and their families, also there are continuous attempts by the regime forces to achieve more advancement towards Al-Mare’yah village adjacent to the airport, to secure the airport more, while the clashes were accompanied by exchange of shelling between the both parties, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the clashes are concentrated in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor airbase in an attempt by the regime forces supported by the Russian air cover to secure  Deir Ezzor Airbase by expanding the circle of safety around it by advancing and keep both firearm and human power of the organization away of the airbase, to facilitate and secure air traffic to and from it and to begin repairing what is damaged of it, in order to be used as a base for the launch of Russian warplanes which are involved mainly in the operation of expelling the “Islamic State” organization from the banks of the Euphrates River and from Deir Ezzor city. Cross-sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the clashes are accompanied by rocket and artillery shelling and air raids, which resulted in the advancement of the regime forces in sites used to be controlled by the organization, and confirmed information about casualties in the ranks of both parties, and information about captives of the regime forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that finishing the operation of lifting the siege on Deir Ezzor city completes its first 72 hours, after the regime forces managed to open the artery coming from Damascus, and the operation of lifting the siege was carried out on 3 stages the first was to lift the siege on the Brigade 137, then lifting the siege of Deir Ezzor Military Airport and the bloc of neighborhoods related to it, and the third stage was to reach the western entrance of Deir Ezzor city at the area of Panorama area after taking the control of Damascus – Deir Ezzor road, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights observed during the past 24 hours intensive violent shelling by artillery shells and tanks of the regime forces accompanied by dozens of raids by Russian as well as the regime’s warplanes and helicopters, which were accompanied by a violent attack in which the regime forces failed to reach Hwejat Kate’ in the Euphrates River, where these forces tried to achieve advancement during Al-Hwiqa neighborhood, within desperate attempts by the regime forces to besiege the organization in the city or force it to withdraw before encircling the city.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the regime forces which control about 64.3% of the area pf Deir Ezzor which is 34.7 square kilometers, are trying to shorten the military operation in Deir Ezzor and hurry to finish it, to achieve “morale victory” by repeating the attempts to besiege the whole city, and to force the “Islamic State” organization to withdraw from areas of its control which are 35.7% of the area of the city, in order not to turn the military operation by the regime into street war which will result in falling casualties in the ranks of them, especially the regime forces intend to head after Deir Ezzor city, to control its countryside.