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BREAKING: Syrian Army assaults huge ISIS-held island east of Deir Ezzor, reach east bank of the Euphrates

The situation is rapidly developing in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor. While the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have not reached the bank of the Euphrates, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies have crossed the river.

At the same time, the SDF, backed up by the US-led coalition, seized the 7 Kilo roundabout and factories around it north of Deir Ezzor. The key SDF problem is that al-Husayniyah village, locaed on the bank of the Euphrates, is still contested. US-backed forces have not been able to capture it because it’s one of the few ISIS fortified positions north of Deir Ezzor.

The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq announced that ISIS fighters attacked a position of the SAA south of the Taim oil field southwest of Deir Ezzor city. According to Amaq, ISIS fighters killed 4 SAA soldiers and destroyed a BMP-1 vehicle and a 57mm gun of the SAA, during the attack.

Meanwhile, Russian warplanes destroyed dozens of ISIS ferries along the Euphrates river. ISIS usually use the ferries to move fighters and equipment, and most important oil tankers between the two banks of the Euphrates river. Some pro-militant sources as well as MSM-style media outlets already claimed that the Russians were bombing civilian targets.

On September 18, special units of the SAA embedded with Russian military advisers crossed the Euphrates river east of Deir Ezzor and gained positions there after a firefight with ISIS terrorists, according to the Russian media.

A media wing of the SAA 5th Assault Corps’ ISIS Hunters (an elite unit of the SAA) confirmed this report saying that the ISIS Hunters has crossed the Euphrates.

The US-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported that the SAA has crossed the Euphrates.

According to unconfriemd reports, the SAA and its allies captured Marat and Madhlum villages on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The Russian media says that the operation is actively supported by warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces as well as by BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers and TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems.

Separately, clashes were also reported in the Saqr Island.

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Since the start of September, the SDF and pro-SDF sources have repeatedly claimed that they will not allow the SAA to cross the Euphrates. What now?

Hours ago, word came in from military sources that the Syrian Army struck at ISIS positions on the Euphrates island of Hawijat Sakr.

The size of the Syrian Army assault force is currently unknown; likewise the strength of Islamic State forces on the island also unknown.

In any case, the operation was last reported to still be ongoing without any mention to the degree of resistance being encountered by Syrian troops.

Should Syrian forces liberate Sakr island, then ISIS militants trapped in Deir Ezzor city will be further isolated and their chances of fleeing in safety via crossing the Euphrates (the only route now open) will be greatly reduced.