Deir ez-Zor Liberated as Syrian Army Breaks 3-Year Long Siege by ISIS

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) advancing from the West of the country has entered Deir ez-Zor, the eastern Syrian city which was under siege by the Islamic State for more than three years.

Syrian State television announced the historic breaking of the siege on Tuesday (5 September) afternoon.

The advancing SAA forces from the West and those within the city linked up as the first tank from the Army's 17th Division reached the 137th Brigade Base in Deir ez-Zor.

The Syrian Arab Army broke through Islamic State defences after a fierce battle that lasted for several hours.

The advancing Syrian Army units were backed by Russian forces, as the Russian naval ship Admiral Essen fired several Kalibr cruise missiles towards Islamic State positions in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor governorate.

FIRST VIDEO - Moment the Syrian Army Tiger Forces met with the Syrian Army defenders in Brigade 137 base after breaking Daesh (ISIS) siege pic.twitter.com/YjAUi20orZ

— M Green (@MmaGreen) September 5, 2017

Deir ez-Zor was under siege since July 2014, when ISIS captured almost all of the oil-rich Deir ez-Zor governorate (province). Deir ez-Zor city, the capital of the governorate, remained under the control of government forces, but was surrounded and besieged by the ISIS.

The SAA garrison of Deir ez-Zor held out against the Islamic State with crucial supplies being air-dropped into the city. Deir ez-Zor is located on the banks of the Euphrates river and an estimated 93,000 civilians are estimated to live in the city.

Deir ez-Zor is located southeast of former IS stronghold Raqqa, most of which has been captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The liberation of Deir ez-Zor is a crucial victory for the government of Bashar al-Assad which has been fighting a tough war against “rebel” forces funded, armed and backed by the US-led NATO, the Gulf monarchies led by Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

The Syrian forces had won a major victory earlier in December 2016 with the liberation of Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, from terrorist-dominated “rebel” forces.

The map of Syria. On the left, from 24 November 2014, and on the right, 5 September 2017. Areas shaded in grey are those under Islamic State control. Areas shaded in pink are those under the control of Syrian government forces.