The regime forces extend their scope of control in the sixth day of crossing the Euphrates River in the eastern banks.

Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that violent clashes are taking place 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 other, in areas on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, in which reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the regime forces managed to achieve important advancement in the area, and took the control of Mazlum and Marrat villages and large parts of Khisham town, while the organization turns to carry out counter attacks in an attempt to kill the biggest number of the members of the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them, in addition to an attempt to retake the control of the area it lost since the regime forces crossed the banks of the Euphrates River on the 18th of September 2017, and the clashes are accompanied by shelling by the regime forces on the clash areas, and targeting by the regime forces to the positions of the organization and its sites and information about confirmed casualties in the ranks of the both parties.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on Friday, that the increase of number of casualties in the ranks of the regime and gunmen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities to 32 at least including 3 Russian soldiers, they were killed in counterattacks by the organization and in the detonation of booby-trapped vehicles since the 18th of September 2017, the date of crossing the Euphrates River by the regime forces and the Russian forces using water bridges and boats, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights observed members of the organization withdrawing bodies of members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and roaming them in villages and areas under its control, in an attempt by the organization to “prove its  strength and ability to defeat the attackers”, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 18th of September 2017, that that scouting forces of the regime forces crossed the Euphrates River to the eastern bank of it which is opposite Deir Ezzor city under a Russian cover, by using water bridges, and that took place after intensive shelling by the regime forces targeted the banks opposite to Deir Ezzor Military Airbase and the areas of Al-Jafrah and Al-Mrey’eyah which the regime forces controlled, and the regime forces managed 12 days ago to open the main road 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.