For the last three weeks, the Syrian Armed Forces have been forced to go on the defensive, as the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched a number attacks around the provincial capital of the Deir Ezzor Governorate; this assault included the imperative Deir Ezzor Military Airport that is currently under the control of the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division.

Following a failed assault by ISIS at the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th, 104th and 113th Brigades went on the offensive, conducting a powerful attack on the terrorist group’s positions at the Al-Haweeqa, Al-Rusafa, Al-Rashidiyah, Al-Husseiniyeh, Al-Jubeileh, Al-Kanamat, and Sheikh Yasseen Quarters of the provincial capital.

On Thursday, the Syrian Armed Forces’ advanced deep into the Al-Haweeqa Quarter of the provincial capital after surprising the militants of ISIS with a large-scale assault during the wee hours of the morning, resulting in the death of over 20 enemy combatants and the destruction of four armored vehicles that were mounted with 23mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

Following their assault on the Al-Haweeqa Quarter, the Syrian Armed Forces unearthed a large tunnel used by the militants of ISIS to resupply their fighters on the frontlines with assault rifles, RPGs, ammunition, mortar shells, and other explosive devices; this tunnel was critical to the terrorist group’s success over the last few months in Deir Ezzor City.

In addition to their advance at Al-Haweeqa, the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the 137th Brigade – launched a counter-offensive at the collection of farms located east of the Deir Ezzor Airport, where they were able to take control of the potato farm after fierce clashes with the terrorist group on Thursday morning.

According to a military source, the surprise assault by the Syrian Armed Forces resulted in the death of over 55 enemy combatants from ISIS, including Anas Umar Wardeh, Hussein ‘Abdel-Rahman Al-Zoubi, Yousif Mohammad Fares, Qassim Mahmoud Bitar (Iraqi), Mohammad Usama Qadri, Mohammad Ahmad Khodor, Ghassan Waleed Al-Mustafa (Iraqi), Faysal Yahya ‘Umran, Wasseem Ahmad Barghouthi (Palestinian), and Lu’ayy Ghaleb Sa’adi (Saudi).