ABU FAS, Syria, and Beirut, Lebanon: US-backed fighters launched a new offensive on Saturday to oust the Daesh group from swathes of Syria’s eastern Deir Al Zor province, a top commander announced.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are already fighting for Daesh’s de facto capital in Raqqa, and they will now aim to clear the terrorists from territory east of the Euphrates River, said Ahmad Abu Khawlah.
Abu Khawlah, who heads the SDF’s Deir Al Zor Military Council (DEMC), read the statement at a press conference in the village of Abu Fas in Syria’s northeast Hasakeh province.
He said his forces had begun fighting to push Daesh out of remaining territory in Hasakeh province and further south in the strategically vital province of Deir Al Zor.
“Pivoting towards Deir Al Zor was inevitable ... We are taking the first step to liberate territory east of the Euphrates River in Deir Al Zor,” Abu Khawlah told AFP.
Since 2014, Daesh has held swathes of the eastern province, which border Iraq, and about 60 per cent of the provincial capital, Deir Al Zor city.
Saturday’s announcement came as Russia-backed Syrian regime forces were waging a separate offensive to oust Daesh from Deir Al Zor city.
“We are not coordinating with the regime or with Russia. We are coordinating with the international coalition,” said Abu Khawlah.
He said US-led coalition air strikes had already helped them advance “around 30 kilometres” in their first clashes.
The coalition has carried out air strikes against Daesh in Syria since 2014 and is now backing the SDF’s assault to retake Raqqa from the terrorists.
The SDF has seized around 65 per cent of Raqqa since it first entered the city in early June.
In the Deir Al Zor assault, the SDF would push towards the Euphrates River from the east of the province, which borders Iraq.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that the SDF had already made advances against Daesh in Deir Al Zor after fierce clashes and seized several hills and a village in the province’s northwestern countryside.
The operation will likely bring the US-backed militias into closer proximity with the Syrian military and allied forces, who have advanced on Deir Al Zor city.
The Syrian army reached its enclave in Deir Al Zor city this week, on the western bank of the Euphrates, breaching a Daesh siege that had lasted three years.
With the help of Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, the advance capped months of steady progress east against Daesh across the desert.
The eastward march has on occasion brought the Syrian army and its allies into conflict with US-backed forces.
Still, the rival campaigns have mostly stayed out of each other’s way, and the US-led coalition has stressed it is not seeking war with Damascus.
—Agencies
