ISIL Defeated at the Village of Al-Baghiliyeh in Deir Ezzor
ISIL has suffered its first major setback in the Deir Ezzor Governorate after being defeated at the village of Al-Baghiliyeh by the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard (Al-Harss Al-Jamhouri) and the 137th Brigade of the 17th Division on Saturday morning.
ISIL assaulted the Syrian Army’s positions inside Al-Baghiliyeh, attacking from 3 axes, with the primary push coming from the southern perimeter of the village. The 137th and 104th Brigades were able to withstand ISIS’ preliminary attack and their barrage of mortar shells and rockets they flooded this imperative village with on Saturday.
After almost 4 hours of besiegement, the 104th Brigade went on the offensive, launching a wave of attacks on the southern perimeter of the village that resulted in an immediate withdrawal of ISIS forces in this area. The 104th Brigade was able to capture a 57mm anti-aircraft machine gun cannon that ISIS militants originally captured at Tabqa Airbase; this was used to protect ISIS fighters from the persistent aerial bombardments by the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF).
Exhausted and exposed to the Syrian Army’s heavy weaponry, ISIL was forced to withdrawal all forces from the outskirts of the Al-Baghiliyeh; thus resulting in their first major setback during this Deir Ezzor offensive.
To not be outdone, the 104th Brigade also secured the ‘Ayyash-Damascus Road, killing scores of militants from ISIL before they were able to forestall the latter’s attack. The ‘Ayyash-Damascus Road is paramount for the SAA because they are able to replenish their scarce supplies from this area and it leads to a number of strongholds that provides the army access to other provinces from Deir Ezzor.
At Haweeja Sakr (Sakr Island), a number of militants were killed during a 104th Brigade’s search-and-destroy operation that netted a total of 16 ISIS casualties. The identified fighters from ISIL are as followed: Mansour Jaabar Al-Suleiman, ‘Abdel-Salaam Al-Mur’ay, Mou’az Al-Khalid Al-Mohammad, and Nasser Al-Ahmad Al-Hammoud
