Ahmed Abu Khawlah, who heads the SDF's Deir Ezzor Military Council, speaks during a press conference in the village of Abu Fas, Hasaka province, Syria on September 9, 2017. Rodi Said / Reuters
Reuters: U.S.-backed forces, Syrian army advance separately on Islamic State in Deir al-Zor
BEIRUT/AL SHADADI, Syria (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias and the Syrian army advanced in separate offensives against Islamic State in eastern Syria on Saturday, piling pressure on shrinking territory the group still holds in oil-rich areas near the Iraqi border.
Syrian government forces fought their way to an air base on the outskirts of Deir al-Zor city that had been besieged for years by the jihadists, said a commander in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed alliance of mostly Arab and Kurdish fighters, meanwhile launched attacks against Islamic State in the north of Deir al-Zor province in an operation to capture areas east of the Euphrates river.
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WNU Editor: There appears to be a raced to capture as much territory as possible from the Islamic State .... Syrian army in race with US-armed fighters for eastern Syria (Boston Herald).
More News On U.S. Backed Forces Launching A New Offensive Against ISIS Positions In Deir al-Zor
U.S.-backed forces announce anti-ISIS push in Syria’s oil-rich east -- Washington Post
US-backed forces, Syrian army advance separately on ISIL in Deir Ezzor -- The National
U.S.-backed forces declare battle against IS in Deir al-Zour -- Xinhuanet
U.S.-Backed Forces Advance Against IS In East Syria -- RFE
US-backed Syria force launches new anti-IS assault in Deir Ezzor -- Digital Journal
US-backed Syrian militias launch offensive against last Isis stronghold -- Financial Times
US-backed SDF launches offensive in Syria's Deir ez-Zor -- RUDAW
6 comments:
The race is on indeed!
The refugees form the refugee convoy will be just in time to man the last rampart before it falls.
:)
The refugees from the convoy can escape east into Iraq and hide in the hinterland or then head south?
Or they can go south to Jordan over relatively arid, flat land.
Calling it a race, this is just fabricated by the media, because it sells better as a "news". Months ago in one of the CJTF briefing it was stated by a US officer that the SDF ( but lets just call them Kurds, since thats what they realy are ) will take the areas North from the Euphrates river and the SAA will not be allowed to cross the river for any reasons. Back then it caused some misunderstanding, since the areas the Kurds held now, Rojava is not "meant" to reach way down to Der er Zor, and also on the Iraqi side of this areas, there are no direct Kurdish population ( unlike in the Northern areas ), so there is no reasoning in it.
But so those this "race" started, to capture Der er Zor, but it would be kind of hard for the Kurds to capture the city, since it's located on the south side of the river, mostly already controlled by SAA, and the bridges there were destroyed years ago, and as we know from the operation "crossing of Lake Assad" the water based forces of SDF are very "limited" so to say. By the way, I already seen footages of boats ( БМК-130 , and afaik they are used as a part of PMP Floating Bridges ) being transported by SAA and they already reached Der er Zor, but just because of them we cannot say that SAA have crossing in motion, but I'm sure they did not brought them there for fun. What the Kurds could get to take is the only thing that there are in this area, and they are the oil wells on N-NE of this province.
The question of how much areas will the SDF take is predeterminated already, this part of the war is went off the "chaotic" road since early this year. But of how much will they really take, well there must had been some words about this in the military (US-RU-Tr) meeting in Turkey a month or so ago, but we will see. But there is no need to panic, everything will work out just fine, even the coalition's air campaign against IS did so.
And I was wondering yesterday on where is mlacix?
As always, thank you for your summary.
WNU:
I'm always closeby, I just did not really made comments for a while. The war in Iraq and Syria just getting to a "slower" end phase to me, and so there is not much to talk about it. I think i got to find another hobby.
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