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Executive Summary for October 20th

We review the key developments in Syria, including airstrikes killing 16 civilians in Deir Ezzor, the SDF preparing to officially announce victory over ISIS in Raqqa and Israel striking Syrian army positions in the south.

Published on Oct. 20, 2017 Read time Approx. 2 minutes

Civilians Killed in Deir Ezzor Attack

At least 16 civilians were killed in airstrikes on Deir Ezzor province on Thursday, Middle East Eye reported. The strikes were believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes, MEE said, citing the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The civilians were trying to cross the Euphrates River near the town of Boukamal – one of the last major strongholds of the so-called Islamic State in Syria.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian aircraft, has captured large swathes of territory from ISIS in Deir Ezzor in recent weeks. Last weekend, government forces captured the ISIS stronghold of al-Mayadeen from militants.

SDF to Announce Official Raqqa Victory

The United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are ready to make an official declaration of victory over ISIS in Raqqa, the Associated Press reported.

The SDF announced that it had cleared Raqqa of ISIS militants on Tuesday but an official declaration of victory was delayed because some ISIS sleeper cells were still believed to be holed up in the city.

The SDF was scheduled to hold a news conference at noon on Friday, to officially declare the city free of extremists, the AP said.

The SDF launched their campaign against ISIS in Raqqa in June. The city has been battered by fierce shelling and airstrikes.

On Thursday Reuters said that Saudi Arabia’s Gulf Affairs minister, Thamer al-Sabhan, visited Raqqa and met the civil council to discuss the reconstruction of the city. No concrete plans were set in motion during the visit but SDF adviser Amed Sido told the news agency he considered it a first step toward future relations with the kingdom.

Israel Strikes Southern Syria

Israel said it struck southern Syria on Thursday after an errant shell landed inside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Associated Press reported.

The statement by the military did not clarify which targets were hit. But citing local reports, the newspaper Haaretz said Israel had struck a Syrian artillery position near the town of Quneitra. No casualties were reported.

The incident comes days after Israel struck an anti-aircraft battery in Syria that it said had opened fire on one of its reconnaissance aircraft flying over Lebanon.

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