ISIS Convoy Arrives in Deir Ezzor Weeks After Border Evacuation

A convoy carrying fighters of the so-called Islamic State reached territory in eastern Syria on Wednesday after being stranded in the Syrian desert for over two weeks, the New York Times reported.

Hundreds of ISIS fighters and their families were bussed from the Lebanese border last month as part of an evacuation agreement brokered by Hezbollah and the Syrian government. U.S. coalition warplanes prevented the convoy of evacuees from reaching its intended destination in Deir Ezzor province by destroying roads leading to ISIS-held territory.

Some of the convoy arrived in the town of Mayadin in eastern Deir Ezzor province, near the border with Iraq, on Wednesday night, the NYT said. It was not immediately clear whether all of the evacuees had arrived, but unnamed sources told the NYT that only 200 evacuees out of the original 600 had reached the destination. The others had reportedly “sneaked away.”

The convoy was able to make its way to Mayadin after the U.S. coalition withdrew its surveillance aircraft from the vicinity of the convoy on Friday. The aircraft were removed at the request of Russia, whose warplanes are flying in the area as part of an aerial campaign on ISIS positions in Deir Ezzor.

According to Reuters, the convoy used the main road connecting the government-held town of al-Sukhna to Deir Ezzor to reach its destination. Along the route, militants also released a Hezbollah prisoner whom they had held in captivity, Reuters said. The NYT said that Hezbollah handed over two ISIS leaders to the militant group in return.

Russia, Iran and Turkey meet in Kazakhstan Ahead of Astana Peace Talks

Representatives from Russia, Iran and Turkey convened in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for a fresh round of negotiations, Agence France-Presse reported.

The meeting was held one day before the official launch of the sixth round of Syria peace talks. The talks, in the Kazakh capital of Astana, are aimed at solidifying Syria’s so-called “de-escalation zones” and will also include representatives from the Syrian government and the opposition.

The three states met on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for the two days of peace talks, AFP said.

According to AFP, this week’s peace talks will focus on hammering out the details of a proposed de-escalation zone in the northern province of Idlib – the last province in Syria under full rebel control.

Yehya al-Aridi, an adviser to the Syrian opposition, told AFP that opposition factions will also seek to strengthen current de-escalation zones in Homs province and in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, which have been subject to continued government shelling despite the deal.

Russia, Iran and Turkey signed a de-escalation zone agreement in Astana in May with the aim of winding down violence across the country.

Jordan Will Reopen Syria Border When Security Improves

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said in an interview published on Thursday that his country’s border with Syria will open when security conditions in southern Syria improve, the Associated Press reported.

The Syria border would reopen only “when the right security conditions materialize on the ground,” the Jordanian king said, expressing concern that the military campaign against the so-called Islamic State in Syria could push the group south toward the border with Jordan.

The Jordan-Syrian border has been closed since 2015 after the Syrian army lost control of the Nassib crossing to Syrian rebels.

Late last month, Jordan reopened its border with Iraq for the first time since 2015 and Jordanian officials have said they are hopeful that the Syria border could be reopened once a de-escalation zone in southwest Syria is cemented.

Recommended Reads:

• Agence France-Presse: After Helping Retake Aleppo, Russia Seeks to Rebuild it
• Al Jazeera: ‘Millions of Dollars Missing’ in School Aid for Syrians
• Reuters: Exclusive: Syria Calls off Mysterious Million Tonne Russian Wheat Deal
• Al-Monitor: Jordan Opens Crossing With Iraq, Makes Nice With Syria
• Foreign Policy: Who Will Rule Raqqa After the Islamic State?