The Syrian army backed by allied forces on Thursday fully liberated the city of Albu Kamal in the province of Deir-ez-Zor, the last stronghold of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization in eastern Syria, the army’s general command said.
“The liberation of the city is of great importance since it represents an announcement of the fall of [the] ISIS terrorist organization project in the region, in general, and a collapse of the illusions of its sponsors and supporters to divide it,” the general command said in a statement.
The statement said that the liberation of Albu Kamal constitutes a strategic base for eradicating remnants of various terrorist groups within the Syrian territories.
It stressed that the liberation of the city came after fierce battles in which large numbers of terrorists were killed, including a number of ISIS leaders.
The command said that engineering units had already started dismantling the explosive devices planted by terrorists throughout the neighborhoods of the city, adding that the army continues to pursue ISIS militants who fled the city.
Over the past months, the city of Albu Kamal has been subjected to random aerial bombardment by the U.S.-led coalition, which alleges to be targeting ISIS sites, causing massive damage to the city.
Reports confirmed that most of the coalition airstrikes targeted bridges, residential buildings and infrastructure in the city.
The command said that the army has taken control over wide areas along the Syrian-Iraqi border while ensuring the security of the roads between the two brotherly countries.
The continuous coordination between the Syrian and Iraqi armies has played a big role in clearing large swaths of the border area and preventing the infiltration of ISIS terrorists, who were moving between the two sides of the border under the cover of the U.S.-led coalition.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
