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Executive Summary for September 15th

We review the key developments in Syria, including the U.S. announcing that its allies will not enter Deir Ezzor city, Russia firing cruise missiles at ISIS in east Syria and the sixth round of peace talks opening in Astana.

Published on Sep. 15, 2017 Read time Approx. 2 minutes

SDF Will Not Enter Deir Ezzor City, Says U.S. Coalition

A United States coalition spokesman said on Thursday that Washington-backed forces fighting the so-called Islamic State will not go into Deir Ezzor city, Reuters reported.

The Syrian Democratic Forces launched a campaign against militants in the oil-rich eastern province on Saturday and have reached an industrial zone outside the city. But they will not push deeper in the provincial capital, to avoid confrontations with pro-government forces, U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon told reporters.

They will focus their operations instead on areas south of Deir Ezzor city, along the Euphrates River.

“I’ll just tell you that the plan is not to go into Deir Ezzor city but there [are] plenty of ISIS fighters and resources and leaders that continue to have holdouts throughout the middle Euphrates River valley,” Dillon said.

Meanwhile, Syrian troops and allied fighters have been pushing ahead with a separate operation against ISIS in Deir Ezzor. They are closing in on militants from three sides with the aim of encircling them in a pocket in the provincial capital.

Russian Cruise Missiles Strike ISIS in East Syria

A Russian submarine based in the Mediterranean fired seven Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS positions in eastern Syria on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

The attack targeted “ISIS installations” southeast of Deir Ezzor and destroyed a “command center, a communications hub and an ammunition depot,” the AP said, citing Russia’s defense ministry.

On Thursday, activists reported an intense bombardment of three ISIS-held towns and villages along the Euphrates River. It was not immediately clear whether the bombardment, said by local contacts to be at “fanatical” levels, was connected to the Russian cruise missile strikes.

Turkey-based activist Omar Abou Layla told the AP that 20 people were killed by shelling in the province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 39 people were killed in airstrikes, according to the AP. The United Kingdom-based monitor said the U.S.-led coalition was responsible for some of the attacks.

Fresh Round of Astana Talks Tackle Syria De-Escalation Zones

The sixth round of Syria peace talks began on Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana, with the aim of solidifying Syria’s so-called de-escalation zones.

A senior Russian negotiator attending the talks said that Moscow, Iran and Turkey were close to a deal on the zones, Reuters reported.

“Our main task at this international meeting on Syria is to finalize and establish four de-escalation zones,” said Alexander Lavrentyev, who leads the Russian delegation. “We are very close to reaching an agreement on creating these four zones.”

Russia has previously said that the northern province of Idlib, which is under complete rebel control, is one of the four areas suggested as a potential de-escalation zone.

The sixth round of peace talks, which also include representatives of the Syrian government and some rebel factions, was continuing on Friday.

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

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