Expert: ISIL’s Attacks on Airports “A US Scenario to Weaken Syrian Air Force”

Salim Harba said that recent attack of ISIL terrorists on T4 airbase in Eastern Homs, the Israeli fighter jets’ attack on al-Mezeh military airport in Damascus and the United States’ and ISIL’s recent attacks on Deir Ezzur airbase are entirely parts of a concentrated plan to slow down the Syrian air power in the war on terrorists.

Harba further added that Washington and Tel Aviv are resolved to target the Syrian air force that has been very successful in targeting and controlling terrorists.

He underscored that the US intends to provide the so-called moderate opposition groups with leverage to put the Syrian government under pressure on the threshold of peace talks by paving the way for ISIL to attack Deir Ezzur, especially the city’s airbase.

On Wednesday, Syrian Army troops warded off ISIL’s large-scale attacks on their positions in the Southern, Southwestern and Western outskirts of Deir Ezzur, while the country’s Air Force continued to bomb terrorists’ movements near the military airport.

Field sources said that the army soldiers repelled ISIL’s attacks on government positions in areas surrounding Deir Ezzur university, the Western outskirts of the city and the 137th regiment.

ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the failed attacks.

The ISIL terrorist also attacked government positions in Tal Barouk and the University’s residential area Southwest of Deir Ezzur, but the army troops engaged in heavy fighting with them, killing a large number of them and repelling their attack.

Fierce clashes were underway in Deir Ezzur’s cemetery and al-Omal region South of the city where the army men have not only stopped ISIL’s advances but are also trying hard to take back the positions they have lost in last 24 hours.

The army soldiers also did not allow ISIL to advance in Panorama region in the Southern outskirt of Deir Ezzur.

The army’s artillery and missile units were shelling the gatherings and movements of the ISIL in the battlefields around the city, while the army aircraft pounded ISIL’s gatherings near the military airport, Panorama and the cemetery.

Field sources disclosed that the army men deployed in Deir Ezzur airbase have planted a large number of landmines ahead of their first line of defense in the airbase, adding that over 20 ISIL terrorists have thus far been killed in the landmine as they were attacking the airbase.