Alalam - Syria

The army men engaged in heavy fighting with ISIS (ISIL, IS, Daesh) near al-Thardah mountain Southwest of Deir Ezzur city, while other units of the army engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists near the Airbase South of the city.

Fighting has been underway between the army men and ISIS terrorists in al-Thardah mountain and South of the Airbase ever since the US-led coalition airstrikes on Syrian army positions near Deir Ezzur two months ago.

In the meantime, the army men repelled ISIS's attack to capture al-Jafrah to arrive at the Eastern gate of Deir Ezzur airbase.    

Based on the latest reports from the battlefields, most clashes are underway in areas South and Southeast of Deir Ezzur Airbase.

ISIS intends to take control of the airbase to multiply its pressure on army troops in Deir Ezzur city as its capture of the airbase would cut off dispatch of fresh soldiers and equipment by the army to Deir Ezzur city.

Currently, the Syrian soldiers can only receive government's supplies from air.

The army's distance to the government forces' closest base in Palmyra, East of Homs province, is around 160 kilometers.

In order to lift ISIS's siege of Deir Ezzur, the army should drive ISIS out of the towns of Arak and al-Sukhnah in Eastern Homs.

The government forces have control over 60 percent of Deir Ezzur city and its countryside now.

On Tuesday, the Syrian army's engineering units detonated two tunnels used by the ISIS terrorist group for transferring forces and equipment in Deir Ezzur's districts.

The Syrian military forces planted a large volume of explosives under the tunnels in al-Orfi and Bour al-Saeed districts and detonated them, leaving a number of militants dead and many more wounded.

SA - 12