Syrian Army Launches a Counter-Offensive at the Military Airport

Around 5:30 A.M. on Wednesday morning, the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard (Harss Al-Jamhouri) – backed by the National Defense Forces (NDF) and a local tribe – launched a major counter-offensive northeast of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, killing scores of Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) militants before taking complete control of 1.5km of land adjacent to the base.

The attack by the 104th Brigade caught the ISIS militants staked out northeast of the Military Airport completely off guard, as many of their fighters were unable to offer much resistance to the onslaught by the former. A number of militants were killed during this operation, including 2 ISIS fighters identified by the 104th Brigade as “Ezzeddeen Sataam Al-Fatiha” of Abukamal, Deir Ezzor and “Ahmad ‘Issam Al-Hinaawi” of Barzeh, Rif Dimashq.

While contingents from the 104th Brigade continue their onslaught near the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, their comrades on Sakr Island (Haweeja Sakr) are gaining momentum after 3 straight days of heavily bombarding ISIS militants in the 2nd and 3rd Districts. The soldiers from the 104th Brigade are striving to retake the Eastern Bank Fisheries, where ISIS militants continue to resupply their besieged comrades on the Sakr Island. ISIS does not have control of the Political Bridge (Jissr Al-Siyassiyya) or the other suspension bridges that provide access from the mainland to the island – so, the obstruction of this supply method is imperative to the 104th Brigade.

Identified ISIS militants killed on Sakr Island:

1. “Abu Al-Bara’a ‘Abbas” (Libyan)
2. Safyaan Taalib
3. Ahmad Saheeb Faares
4. Nizaar Mahmoud Tawaas
5. Fouad Ahmad Majeed
6. Mamdouh Al-Hayji
7. ‘Amaar Al-Saa’eej
8. Sa’eed Ba’aj Barjass
9. Abu Mou’awiyya Al-Masri (Egyptian)

104th Brigade soldiers cited as killed-in-action:

1. Ahmad Mahmoud Qaassem
2. Amjad Warour

The 137th Brigade of the Syrian Arab Army’s 17th Division carried out a raid at the Agricultural District near the Al-Rashidiyyeh Bank, where they killed a confirmed 13 fighters from ISIS and took another 4 militants prisoner. The 137th Brigade officially declared the Al-Rashidiyyeh Bank area under Syrian Government control around 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday afternoon.

Source: Almasdarnews