The operation to fully liberate Deir ez-Zor is still underway with the Syrian army fighting Daesh terrorists in the southern part of the city, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Syrian government troops are completing the operation to defeat Daesh terrorist group (ISIS, banned in Russia) in Deir ez-Zor, Lt. Gen. Alexander Lapin, chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces group in Syria, told reporters Tuesday.
"Currently, the operation to liberate the city continues. The Syrian troops are fighting a Daesh unit that blocked the northern and southern quarters of Deir ez-Zor," Lapin said.
Over 450 Daesh terrorists, 5 tanks and 42 pickup trucks with large-caliber machine guns had been destroyed in the operation to liberate Deir ez-Zor, he said.
Last week has marked the lifting of three-year Daesh's siege of the city of Deir ez-Zor and the liberation of a local airfield, which had kept more than 1,000 Syrian troops locked in since January. However, the fighting to fully liberate the area is still underway.
The successful Deir ez-Zor operation was the biggest breakthrough against Daesh since the terrorist group first launched an offensive in the province. The terrorists had been blockading Deir ez-Zor since 2014, with food and other supplies only being airlifted into the city. The group also took control over a large swath of the province of Deir ez-Zor and cut off roads to government-held districts.
