The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Deir Ezzor undergoes new transformations; ISIS transports about 400 fighters to west of Euphrates and regime’s Iraqi allies arrive via the border to al-Bokamal

In a new shift of military operations in Deir Ezzor Desert, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored new developments in the aforementioned area, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from several reliable sources that military reinforcements have arrived to locations of the regime forces from two main destinations, where reinforcements of the pro-regime Iraqi gunmen have arrived to the west of Euphrates in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, coincided with the arrival of hundreds of members of regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities to the same area, in order to strengthen the presence of the regime against the “Islamic State” Organization, of which the sources of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have confirmed that it is preparing to carry out a massive military operation against the regime forces and their allies in the west of Euphrates.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources that about 400 fighter of the “Islamic State” organization of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, have crossed from the enclave east Euphrates -which is surrounded by the Syria Democratic Forces who are supported by the International Coalition- to the west of Euphrates River in the form of groups, where they are crossing from al-Shafa area, after intense shelling by the “Islamic State” Organization on areas controlled by the regime and its loyal gunmen west of Euphrates River.

These transformations come in conjunction with the continuation of clashes in al-Bokamal area and its desert, between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities against the “Islamic State” organization, amid successive attacks by the Organization in an attempt to re-control areas it lost earlier, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the  the “Islamic State” organization continues its military operations west of Euphrates, targeting the regime forces and their allies, on the strategic road of Tehran – Beirut, amid a media blackout about these attacks which were started after the recovery of the “Islamic State” organization successively starting from the capital Damascus on the 13th of March 2018 until Deir Ezzor, until today the 1st of April 2018, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued attacks by the Organization against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, where the organization was able through its intensive targeting of regime forces’ locations in the Bokamal Desert in southeastern Deir Ezzor province; to inflict more human losses in the ranks of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, raising to 193 at least, the number of members of the regime and their allies who were killed during 20 days of clashes in al-Bokamal, the countryside of Deir Ezzor and south of the capital Damascus, also it rose to 64 at least, the number of members of the “Islamic State” organization who were killed in the same battles, since the recovery of the Organization in the 13th of March 2018, also tens of others of both parties were killed and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has been monitoring since the 13th of March 2018, the start of attacks by the “Islamic State” Organization, which were started by an attack in the capital Damascus, and enabled it to expand in al-Kadam neighbourhood in the southern part of the capital, followed by attacks targeted the 2nd Station, which was also controlled by the Organization south of al-Bokamal, and other attacks in Hmimeh area and al-Mayadin Desert, amid targeting sites of the regime forces and their allies west of Euphrates river in the eastern and southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, also these successive attacks have caused significant casualties in the ranks of members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, and as well as the ranks of members of the “Islamic State” Organization.

This violent attack of ISIS comes weeks after the control of the organization declined in the eastern banks of the Eupbhrates River, within the towns of Abu Al-Hassan, al-Sha’afa, Al-Baghouz, Al-Bobdara, and its districts, following the entire end of its presence in the western banks of the Euphrates River, where the SDF managed to control most of the east of the Euphrates except for the aforementioned enclave, where reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the organization organized its ranks in the recent stage in order to attempt to expand the organization’s controlled areas at the expense of its rivals in its areas of presence, and the SOHR published few months ago, that although the presence of the organization in the west of the Euphrates River ended on the 6th of December 2017, groups of its fighters meant to confuse the regime and its allies, by carrying out infiltrations and surprising attacks, within Deir Ezzor desert and the vicinity of Hmimeh area in the far of the north-eastern countryside of Homs, in conjunction with the attacks on areas in the eastern desert of Al-Sukhnah and attacks in other areas near the presence of the members of the organization who carry out these attacks in order to emphasize the strength of the organization and express its ability to carry out attacks and initiate them, and to result in the fall of the largest possible number of human losses in the ranks of the regime forces and their allies of non-Syrian nationalities.