Syrian Arab Army fully captured Deir ez-Zor from Islamic State

The Syrian army and its allies have successfully recaptured the city of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian state television as well as eyewitnesses close to the Syrian opposition confirmed the capture of the city.

Deir ez-Zor CitySyrian state television has announced that the city of Deir ez-Zor has been completely taken over by the troops of Bashar al-Assad. According to the state television the army has gained “complete control” over the eastern Syrian city this Friday. The Syrian army is supported in its fight against militias by the Russian air force and Shiite militias.

The Syrian Human Rights Observatory had already declared on Thursday evening that the city had been recaptured from the control of the Islamic State with the support of the Russian Air Force. The capital of the province Deir ez-Zor on the western shore of the Euphrates has been largely in the hands of Islamic State. Syrian soldiers and according to UN estimates 93000 civilians were trapped in some quarters of the city by the Islamic State three years ago.

The Islamic State is loosing its territory to the Syrian Arab Army and the kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces since several months. The Islamic State only holds a smal area within Syrian and Iraq after the capture of Mosul by the Iraqi Army, the capture of Raqqa by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the capture of Deir ez-Zor by the Syrian Arab Army.