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The situation is rapidly developing in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor. While the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have not reached the bank of the Euphrates, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have crossed the river.
On September 17, the SAA and its allies fully liberated Jafrah, Ayyash, the Hujeif mount, Muraieiah, Hawayej, Hawayej Abu Arab, Ain Abu Jumah and Hajj Hammoud as well as some nearby points on the both northwestern and southeastern flanks of the city.
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At the same time, the SDF, backed up by the US-led coalition, seized the 7 Kilo roundabout and factories around it north of Deir Ezzor. The key SDF problem is that al-Husayniyah village, locaed on the bank of the Euphrates, is still contested. US-backed forces have not been able to capture it because it’s one of the few ISIS fortified positions north of Deir Ezzor.
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The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq announced that ISIS fighters attacked a position of the SAA south of the Taim oil field southwest of Deir Ezzor city. According to Amaq, ISIS fighters killed 4 SAA soldiers and destroyed a BMP-1 vehicle and a 57mm gun of the SAA, during the attack.
Meanwhile, Russian warplanes destroyed dozens of ISIS ferries along the Euphrates river. ISIS usually use the ferries to move fighters and equipment, and most important oil tankers between the two banks of the Euphrates river. Some pro-militant sources as well as MSM-style media outlets already claimed that the Russians were bombing civilian targets.
On September 18, special units of the SAA embedded with Russian military advisers crossed the Euphrates river east of Deir Ezzor and gained positions there after a firefight with ISIS terrorists, according to the Russian media.
A media wing of the SAA 5th Assault Corps’ ISIS Hunters (an elite unit of the SAA) confirmed this report saying that the ISIS Hunters has crossed the Euphrates.
Finally there! #ISIS_Hunters are first to traverse and intrench on the left side of #Euphrates #ISIS #Syria #DeirEzzor #ديرالزور #سوريا pic.twitter.com/aKETvpqgS0
— ISIS Hunters (@ISIS_Hunters) 18 September 2017
The US-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported that the SAA has crossed the Euphrates.
According to unconfriemd reports, the SAA and its allies captured Marat and Madhlum villages on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The Russian media says that the operation is actively supported by warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces as well as by BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers and TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems.
Separately, clashes were also reported in the Saqr Island.
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Since the start of September, the SDF and pro-SDF sources have repeatedly claimed that they will not allow the SAA to cross the Euphrates. What now?
The ISIS attack near the Taim oil field:
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tireless superheroes from the russian coalition .. keep it up … victory is near
The Russians are embedded huh? Coalition airsupport for the SDF is going to be a much touchier issue. They are also packing some serious arty? I hope the SDF keeps it’s distance and pipes down quite a bit, for their and everybody else’s sake.
SDF must back off and leave alone Syra and allied.
I agree. I would say they do not have a choice either.
Thank you Russia. No one ever did the right thing till you came.
This is a true statement.
iran?
Yes. Iran are good guys too.
Good, good news, keep it up SAA.
Well done the lads!
In view of the recent defection of various Arab groups from ISIS to the US Coalition I would surmise that the US spawned ISIS terrorists are attempting to slow down the SAA liberation of SYRIAN oil fields by reinforcing the Southern banks of the Euphrates and thereby giving the US coalition a free ride to the SYRIAN oilfields that they covet so much. The Quid Pro Quo for the defectors would likely be a continuing role in the stolen oil market.
The SAA bridgeheads on the Northern banks will I hope be expanded very quickly to liberate the Syrian oilfields and territory..
Those Isis vehicles and troop formations are sitting ducks for air, missile, and heavy ground weapon strikes in the open desert. It’s why the government foot print is expanding so rapidly on the west side of the river, and soon will be on the east side of the river.
The SAA landed on Saker island too.
Keep up the good work!
Sweet! I’m gonna get to build my tree house after all! Wait… Do trees grow on Saker island?
Keep it up. And Kurds better behave or couple of ballistic missiles will be heading their way.
The SDF can SAY that they don’t allow the SAA on the Eastern bank, but unless they’re actually going to use force there’s not a whole lot that they can DO about it. Attacking the SAA would be a declaration of war that neither side has wanted so far. Nor would it be possible because that would bring the US and Russia directly into conflict with each other as well, which neither side wants. So far the SDF’s strategy has been two fold. Deprive the SAA access by taking crucial territory it wanted instead, then smile and feign innocence as neither side wants to start hostilities over them. So it became a race who got to certain key objectives first. The rapid advance of the Tiger Forces in Southern Raqqa bypassing the SDF bridgehead in Tabqa deprived the SDF of a chance to use this tactic. Now they’re trying it again east of the Euphrates. But it would appear that the best and brightest of the SDF are still engaged in Raqqa, and the rapid advance of the SAA to Deir Ezzor forced the SDF to use lesser troops before they were ready. They were helped that apparently ISIS had few if any troops facing them at first, allowing for the SDF’s swift advance, but that seems to have run out of steam. If the SAA manages to quickly expand its bridgehead and place a pontoonbridge to the other side to bring in heavy equipment a swift advance to the Iraqi border would again bypass the SDF units and leave them with just a useless sailliant.
I think there’s another part of the SDF’s strategy working here. I don’t think they’re that much interested in the Deir Ezzor oil fields, they could have taken those any time they wanted these past months. But I do think they realize what their usefulness is to the US. As boots on the ground against ISIS. Right now they’re only into contact with ISIS in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor province. The moment the SAA crosses the Euphrates in force and goes for the Iraqi border that only leaves Raqqa. In which case once Raqqa falls the SDF is as useful to the US as the FSA was in the Damascus desert after the SAA reached the Iraqi border and left them without an ISIS to fight. And who are now being abandoned by the US as useless. In order to be useful to the US the SDF has to have a frontline with ISIS.
BIIIIG NEWS! :))
WOW !! I see direct hits on POL targets next to the river !! Good work Russian Pilots !!