On Saturday morning in the Deir Ezzor Governorate’s northwestern countryside, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched a massive offensive to capture the Al-Bughayliyah and Ayyash Districts, striking the Syrian Arab Army’s defensive positions around the western bank of the vast Euphrates River.

According to a military source from the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard, several ISIS terrorists conducted suicide operations to propel their comrades to break-through the eastern flanks of Ayyash and Al-Bughayliyah.

The soldiers protecting Ayyash and Al-Bughayliyah reported finding suicide belts on several of the dead ISIS terrorists that were charging their positions near the Euphrates Hotel.

Despite claims by ISIS social media activists, the Syrian Arab Army soldiers stationed in Deir Ezzor have rejected all claims that the terrorist group captured the Ayyash Al-Bughayliyah Districts this afternoon.

Moreover, the soldiers claimed the ISIS terrorist attempted to infiltrate their defenses at the Thardeh Mountains in southern Deir Ezzor; this was also repelled by the Syrian Armed Forces.

Currently, there are ongoing clashes between the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIS at the Ayyash, Haweeqa, and Al-Bughayliyah Districts, along with sporadic clashes at the 137th Artillery Base in the Thardeh Mountains.

Sources from the Republican Guard have confirmed that 27 soldiers have killed-in-action (KIA) today – they could not confirm the ISIS death toll; however, they reported that it is likely very high.