Government on high alert, brings in heavy weapons to Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian government forces brought in military reinforcements, including heavy weapons, to the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, a military source said on Friday.
The source added that the Fourth Armored Division of the government forces arrived in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor amidst tight security measures, equipped with heavy armament and dragging artillery behind them, while imposing a curfew in their locations.
This has led to a mass displacement of residents out of fear of military actions in the area, the source noted.
The source pointed out that the government forces are currently on high alert with a curfew imposed in neighborhoods close to their headquarters, though the reasons are unknown.
The Fourth Division has established eight artillery positions on a mount in the village of al-Salihiyah in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor and set up mortars along the riverbed of the Euphrates River.
For the third consecutive day, the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been experiencing a military escalation. The government forces and Iranian-backed militias have launched attacks and shelling from their positions on the western bank of the Euphrates River. The attacks have led to the killing of 11 civilians and the injury of six others, according to the SDF Media Center.