Cargo planes from the Russian air force dropped large quantities of fuel in areas under the Islamic State group’s control in the Deir-ez-Zor countryside, according to ISIS-linked news outlets and local activists.
The group’s Ammaq news agency confirmed on Sunday that “a Russian cargo plane dropped fuel cargos on the area under the organization’s control in Deir-ez-Zor city on Sunday morning.”
Activists from Deir-ez-Zor confirmed that the cargos had fallen on the main road between the capital Damascus and the eastern city, including a number of cargos dropped by Russian airplanes on areas under regime control. They said this was not the first time that cargos had fallen in ISIS areas.
Media activist Daham al-Ali from Deir-ez-Zor told ARA News that, “Russian aircraft are continuing to drop loads of food, fuel and weapons to regime forces in Deir-ez-Zor under siege by ISIS.” He added that, “Today was the second time that we heard that the Russians had dropped cargos of aid over areas under ISIS control in Deir-ez-Zor.”
Ali said that, “Russia is indirectly supporting ISIS in Syria. This is to strengthen the capacity of the group to continue fighting regime forces in the Deir-ez-Zor province on one hand and to avoid reaching a political settlement to end the Syrian crisis on the other.”
ISIS has been besieging areas under regime control within the city of Deir-ez-Zor in the area of Brigade 137 and the Deir-ez-Zor military airport for about a year and a half. Russian aircraft have dropped lots of military and food aid on the regime areas because of the siege.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
