Pro-Government Forces Near ISIS Stronghold in Deir Ezzor
Pro-government forces have moved within seven miles (10 km) of one of the so-called Islamic State’s last major strongholds in Syria, Reuters reported on Friday, citing a Hezbollah media unit.
Syrian troops and allied forces advanced close to al-Mayadeen after capturing positions parallel to the main road linking Deir Ezzor city to the southern militant stronghold. The ISIS command structure is believed to be based in the city, which is on the Euphrates river.
Citing the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Reuters said that the Syrian army shelled al-Mayadeen overnight and Russian warplanes conducted a number of strikes in the area.
On Thursday, Russian warships based in the Mediterranean fired 10 cruise missiles at ISIS positions outside al-Mayadeen, the Associated Press reported, citing the Russian defense ministry.
The attack killed an unspecified number of militants and destroyed command posts and ammunition depots, the AP said.
Dozens of Civilians Killed in Shelling and Airstrikes on Deir Ezzor
At least 29 civilians have been killed in shelling and airstrikes on two different parts of Deir Ezzor since Thursday.
Citing the SOHR, Agence France-Presse said on Friday that Russian airstrikes on the village of Mahkan, south of al-Mayadeen, killed at least 14 civilians who were trying to cross the Euphrates to escape the fighting in the area.
Another 15 civilians were killed on Thursday when a missile struck the government-held Qusour neighborhood, which is besieged by ISIS, the AP reported, citing the activist-run Deir Ezzor 24 monitoring group.
The missile hit near a school, killing three children and three women, the AP said, adding that activists blamed ISIS for the attack.
Hundreds of civilians have died in shelling and airstrikes in Deir Ezzor since Syrian troops broke a three-year militant siege on parts of the provincial capital last month.
Saudi King Urges Syria Settlement at Landmark Meeting in Moscow
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz called on Thursday for a peace settlement in Syria that would preserve the country’s territorial integrity, the Guardian reported.
The king’s comments were made during an historic meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday – the first visit to the capital by a ruling Saudi monarch.
The meeting is seen as a deepening of ties between the two countries, which have supported opposite sides in Syria for the majority of the six-year-long war.
Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said after the meeting that Saudi Arabia and Russia were working closely together to unite Syria’s opposition, Reuters reported.
The Saudi diplomat also said that the two countries believed in preserving the territorial integrity of the war-torn country.
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