Pro-government militants killed, injured in western Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, four militants of pro-Syrian government militias were killed and wounded in clashes with gunmen in Deir ez-Zor western countryside, eastern Syria.
The attackers, suspected to be operatives of the Islamic State (ISIS), killed two members of the National Defense Forces (NDF) and wounded two others of Liwa al-Quds militia.
A source from the NDF told North Press on the condition of anonymity, “ISIS militants targeted with machine guns NDF members and nearby civilians, who were collecting truffles in the Ayyash desert in western Deir ez-Zor, sparking clashes that continued for more than two hours.”
“Iranian-backed Liwa al-Quds conducted patrols and put its forces on high alert to assist the NDF. This forced the ISIS militants to withdraw deep into the desert, which put an end to the clashes that resulted in the killing of two NDF members, and the injury of a civilian and two members of Liwa al-Quds,” he added.
Following the attack, the source said, the NDF and Liwa al-Quds announced conducting a combing operation in the Ayyash desert and nearby villages.
The Iranian-backed militias and government forces control vast areas of the Syrian Badia (Desert) and Deir ez-Zor, which have recently witnessed many battles against ISIS.
On Saturday, two members of the government Military Security Branch were killed in an armed attack by unknown gunmen in the town of Abu Kamal, eastern Deir ez-Zor.