ISIS kills 8 soldiers of government forces in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – About 20 soldiers of the Syrian government forces were killed or injured in a violent attack carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS), targeting the headquarters of the government forces in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
A military source of the government forces in Deir ez-Zor said that ISIS militants targeted with machineguns and rockets three headquarters of Division 17, affiliated with the government forces, in the town of al-Mayadin in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
The militants were driving 4-wheel vehicles equipped with ammunition. The attack resulted in the killing of eight soldiers, the injury of nine others, and the burn of the three headquarters.
The militants stayed in the attacks’ sites for more than two hours. However, the government forces did not sent military support for the headquarters out of fear of being targeted by the ISIS militants, according to the source.
On Nov. 26-27 alone, the radical group killed 16 government soldiers and injured 27 others in Deir ez-Zor desert.
Despite repeated campaigns, the extremist group remains heavily present in the Syrian Desert and occasionally claims responsibility for operations against the government forces.
On Dec. 4, the government forces, supported by Russian warplanes, launched a military campaign in the Syrian Desert to target and eliminate sleeper cells of ISIS.