On Monday evening, ISIS seized control of military points near the administrative border between the eastern governorates of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, launching a surprise attack. The assailants, armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, targeted the 17th Division stationed in the desert near al-Tibni and Ma’dan, resulting in casualties among Syrian regime forces. The incident marks the most intense attack in months, as reported by the local network Nahr Media.
Cutting off Deir-ez-Zor-Raqqa road
ISIS successfully took control of several points, disrupting the road between Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa governorates for several hours, as reported by Nahr Media. During the confrontation, ISIS forces captured a 57mm cannon mounted on a Kia car and destroyed three military vehicles. Regime forces, responding with heavy artillery and missile bombardment, eventually regained control of the contested points. Simultaneously, the regime and National Defense militia deployed reinforcements from western countryside villages in Deir-ez-Zor to reinforce the conflict zones.
In a related incident, unidentified individuals on motorcycles, believed to be associated with ISIS cells, launched attacks on sites belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards”militia and the 17th Division in the desert town of Dweir in the eastern countryside of Deir-ez-Zor.
ISIS attacks continue
The Islamic State remains highly active in the Syrian desert and has conducted numerous attacks since losing its last stronghold in Baghouz camp in Deir-ez-Zor countryside in March 2019. Despite occasional assaults on the Syrian regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, the international coalition has consistently acknowledged the ongoing threat posed by the organization in Syria, particularly in the northeastern region.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
