Syrian forces reach Deir al-Zor, break IS siege on city

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Syrian forces on Tuesday reached a government-held area in Deir al-Zor, breaking the Islamic State’s (IS) three-year siege on the eastern city, state media reported.

Since their emergence in 2014, the militant group had surrounded thousands of civilians and Syrian forces in the city.

Last month, the United Nations estimated there were 93,000 civilians in the city where conditions were “extremely difficult.”

Military vehicles and troops on Tuesday swarmed toward the government-held area in Deir al-Zor, one of IS’ last major strongholds in Syria.

“The Syrian army and its allies [broke] the siege on Deir al-Zor,” Reuters quoted a military media unit run by the government’s ally Hezbollah.

According to state media and a war monitoring group, the Syrian forces linked up with besieged troops at a fort on the western edge of the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, said a military base in the south of the city and a few nearby neighborhoods were still under IS-control.

The city’s provincial governor Mohammed Ibrahim Samra said Syrian forces were advancing toward the air base in Deir al-Zor.

“Forces are [trying] to break the siege on the military airport as well,” he said. “The coming days will also see the clearing of [militants in] the city of Deir al-Zor.”

With the help of Russian air strikes and heavy artillery on the ground, the government forces made “rapid advances” through IS front lines, Reuters reported.

Deir al-Zor is located southeast of Raqqa where a US-backed, Kurdish-led alliance is defeating the extremist group in a separate operation.

Editing by Ava Homa