This has been a long week for the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), as the terrorist group has launched their largest assault on the Deir Ezzor Military Airport in the last ten months.

What seemed like a promising offensive for ISIS, turned into disaster once they approached the Deir Ezzor Military Airport’s southwestern gates, as the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) stiff defenses proved too much for terrorist group.

On Friday morning, ISIS attempted to mount another assault on the army base to the southwest of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport; however, the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Artillery Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division – in coordination with the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard – repelled the attack for the third time since Monday.

As a result of the failed attack, the terrorist group was forced to withdraw their fighters to the Artillery Battalion Base, allowing for the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Brigade to launch a counter-assault amid the multitude of airstrikes from the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF).

Since Wednesday, ISIS has been unable to progress towards the Deir Ezzor Military Airport; this failure has given the Syrian Armed Forces ample time to regroup and deliver a counter-assault to recover the ground they lost to the terrorist group over the last five days at this volatile front.

According to a military source, the number of ISIS casualties has jumped to an estimated 140 combatants in the last 72 hours; this includes their dead fighters at the Military Airport, Al-Muri’iyah, and Al-Jafra.