After Deir ez-Zor Oil will be Taken from Militants
This week in Syria, the government army, with the support from Russian combat aviation, held the biggest victory in the history of the war on terrorism in the country. The "war minister" of the terrorist pseudo-Caliphate was killed, and the city of Deir ez-Zor, which was surrounded for more than three years, was unblocked. This is a huge strategic success. The rapid operation was developed with the help from Russian General Staff officers.
The attack with our Kalibr rockets from the Mediterranean Sea was invaluable for the offensive. It's important that when planning the whole operation, the task was to minimize casualties among civilians, as well as quickly provide humanitarian assistance to the people. Both were successfully accomplished. There are unintentional parallels with what is happening around Raqqa, where the Americans have been fighting long and ineffectively. The sloppy work of their aviation leads to numerous casualties among civilians, and in the city there's a real humanitarian disaster. The locals haven't yet received a single rice grain, a thread, or a pill from the Americans, although the acute shortage of food, clothing, and medicines is obvious in Raqqa. Our special war reporter, Evgeni Poddubny, reporting from freed Deir ez-Zor with the latest information.
Victory wasn't celebrated for long in Deir ez-Zor. After the government forces were able to unblock the city, the fighters who had been surrounded for more than three years began to attack ISIS positions. Only two days were needed for the Republican Guard assault groups, commanded by General Zakhreddin, in order to unblock the military airfield territory. There, more than a 1000 servicemen were completely surrounded for 10 months, ammunition and food were dropped from helicopters. The pseudo-Caliphate militants gave fierce resistance.
Terrorist teams are led by experienced and well-trained foreigners. The radicals' resistance was broken only with active support of the Russian aviation. Massive bombing strikes against the militants and the use of assault aviation deprived the pseudo-Caliphate from being able to transfer reserves. On Sunday evening, the assault teams managed to unblock the garrison. This is how local residents and comrades meet the fighters of the 5th Assault Corps, who were able to liberate the southern entrance to the city. 5th corps subdivisions moved from Palmyra through Es-Sukhne. The Deir ez-Zor — Damascus route is now under government forces control. Just this morning, the pseudo-Caliphate militants were here, but under artillery and aviation strikes they retreated. This is a fighter of the corps, he's from Deir ez-Zor. He can't hold back the tears, he hasn't been at home for three years and didn't believe that he would get to his native city. I'm crying from joy, of course I'm happy. We fought hard for the city, lost many friends, but liberated our home, I swore that I'll get home only by this road, not by plane or helicopter, but like this. And here we are in Deir ez-Zor. But here when everyone is celebrating another victory, new victims. The car explodes on a land mine. As a result one is dead, and another soldier is seriously wounded. This is a strategic victory over the international terrorist group ISIS in Syria, experts say.
The active phase of the operation for the city's liberation, which now locals often call Leningrad, completely surrounded for three years, lasted several weeks. The units commanded by General Sukhel, with the support of Russian and Syrian aviation after heavy fighting, broke through the corridor from the west. Our group entered the city with the front-line troops. Kalibr missile destroyed radicals' command posts and communication centers, which blocked command of the ISIS formations in the area. The defenders of Deir ez-Zor set tires on fire, and this became the signal for units that fought their way to the city.
The engineering machines followed the tanks through the minefield. And on high ground to the right and left of the road, government forces laid suppression fire to allow the column to pass these 4 kilometers. Just now first tanks and engineering machines went over this road, our filming crew is moving behind them, the main thing is not to go to the sides, this field might be mined. And now a meeting of comrades-in-arms. The siege is broken. The soldiers are not hiding their emotions. It's the happiest day, we believed that this would happen, and it gave strength to all defenders of Deir ez-Zor to fight the enemy, despite all the difficulties. Only a day after Deir ez-Zor was freed, trucks arrived with food and medicine. And this, despite the fact that the fighting in the city didn't stop for a day. Humanitarian aid was delivered here. A special correspondent of our TV channel, Alexander Rudenko, came with the Russian trucks.
The road of life in Deir ez-Zor. Food and medicine are being delivered to the liberated city using it right now. This is the most tense area of the road. Militants all around. During the retreat, they continue to blow up the oil towers. Trucks increase their speed, then stop for reconnaissance. The width of the government-controlled strip where the road passes is only 5 km, which means that terrorists can get any passing car. During a stop, shells begin to land next to the column. Getting closer with each shot. 600, 400, and 200 meters. A kilometer away from the road, our watchman notices the terrorist spotter. Mortar can be seen further. The command "into the air!" is instant. The terrorists, hearing the noise of aircraft engines, flee, leaving everything. Our pilots reach the ISIS position 30 seconds after the signal. Trucks with food continue to move along the roads of the now-liberated town. I thank Russia, I thank Russians, without your help we would have all died here. There's a real holiday in a city that has been blockaded for many years. There is also street combat ahead. The ISIS militants still control a large part of Deir ez-Zor. But it's already clear that they will not be able to hold positions in the city, although the most experienced formations of ISIS from Raqqa, and Iraqi Mosul are now transferred here.
The area around Deir ez-Zor is the last major pseudo-Caliphate stronghold in Syria, in addition, the last center of illegal oil production. When ISIS units are destroyed here, the terrorists will lose the ability to extract and sell oil and gas, which means they will lose financial resources which they use to recruit new supporters and waging hostilities. Evgeni Poddubny, Alexander Rudenko, Ruben Mirobov, and Stanislav Yulovski. From Deir ez-Zor — Vesti, News of the Week.