The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported today, Saturday, that ISIS cut a vital road and attacked two villages in the Deir ez-Zor desert. The observatory mentioned that the organization surprised the Syrian army forces and their allied militants in populated areas along the border between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces. They were able to establish points on the crucial Deir ez-Zor-Raqqa road and attack two villages belonging to the al-Tubani district in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
The report stated that ISIS fighters took positions around the villages of Qasabi and Al-Bowaitiya, with an uncertain fate awaiting Syrian army personnel and their allies at the attacked points. The observatory noted that military reinforcements were sent from the city of Deir ez-Zor towards the town of Maidan to bolster positions and open the road that was closed by ISIS. The two villages are located about eight kilometers from the town of Maidan Atiq, which is considered an administrative center for Raqqa province.
For its part, the U.S. Central Command reported today, Saturday, that it conducted 94 operations in Iraq and Syria in collaboration with partners in the fight against ISIS from January to March, resulting in the deaths of 18 ISIS members and the arrest of 63 others. The Central Command stated in a release via the X platform that it carried out 66 operations in Iraq in cooperation with Iraqi security forces, leading to the deaths of 11 ISIS members and the arrest of 36. Meanwhile, it executed 28 operations in Syria in coordination with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), resulting in the deaths of seven and the arrest of 27 others.
They noted that tracking approximately 2,500 fleeing ISIS members across Iraq and Syria is a crucial component in the ongoing defeat of ISIS. They added, "Equally vital are the ongoing international efforts to resettle over 9,000 ISIS detainees held in facilities in Syria and to resettle, rehabilitate, and integrate over 45,000 individuals and families from the al-Hol and Roj camps."
