SDF announces killing 19 government-linked militants in Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The SDF reported the killing of 19 militants linked to the Syrian government in clashes that ensued after an attack by the militants on SDF-held areas in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
Earlier today, a group of government-linked militants attacked the SDF-held towns of Diban, Abu Hardoub and Abu Hamam, east of the Euphrates River, using artillery, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.
The attack, which started at 5 am, was initiated from three different directions: “the Syrian regime-controlled areas of Sabikhan, Dweir, and Al-Mayadin, on the western bank of the Euphrates River,” the SDF Media Center said in a statement.
When the militants sought to infiltrate the towns of Diban, Abu Hardoub and Abu Hamam, the SDF said, “Our forces confronted them, resulting in intense clashes that culminated in the elimination of 19 mercenaries, including six in the town of Dhiban and 13 others in the village of Abu Hardoub.”
The SDF further stated, “A mortar shell originating from the western bank of the Euphrates impacted a civilian house, resulting in the martyrdom of four civilians and the injury of ten others. Additionally, three of our fighters attained martyrdom during the skirmishes with the mercenaries.”