The Military Operations Command, the alliance of Syrian jihadists and rebels backed by Turkey, announced this Tuesday that it has taken control of the city of Deir Ezzor, in the east of the country, which remained under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). ).
“After the liberation of the eastern and western rural areas of Deir Ezzor and the escape of regime forces, as well as Iranian militias, we have declared the city and its military airport completely liberated,” he said in a statement.
The rebels began an offensive on Sunday with the intention of now undertaking the expulsion of the Kurdish forces from the areas under their control after the dazzling success of the offensive launched on November 27 by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and other jihadist formations and rebels against Syrian government troops.
Turkey, which supports several armed rebel groups operating in Syria, has in the past launched several military operations in Syrian territory against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia and has criticized US support for the SDF, the leading launches the offensives against the Islamic State until the territorial defeat of its ‘caliphate’ in Syria in 2019.
