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On December 8, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that its fighters captured the town of Gharanij on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside. The SDF also reported that heavy clashes between the its fighters and members of ISIS took place around the village of al-Jurdi south of Gharanij.
Gharanij is located 25km north of the town of Hajin. This confirms that ISIS is still controlling a large part of the eastern bank of the Euphrates in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside.
From its side, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq reported on December 8, that a heavy VBIED of ISIS attacked a convoy of the SDF near the village of Darnj south of the Omar oil fields. 15 SDF fighters were killed and 3 Humvee vehicles, 3 vehicles and a bulldozer of the SDF were destroyed in the VBIED attack according to Amaq.
ISIS will likely step up its attacks against the SDF in the upcoming days in a final attempt to maintain a foothold near the Syrian-Iraqi border. However, with a heavy air-support from the US-led coalition, the SDF will likely capture all the remaining ISIS positions in eastern Syria in the near future.
That’s on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates river. The Western banks are all controlled by the Syrian government forces.
SDF may be facing some stiff ISIS resistance along the east shore.
Iraqi forces are right now pushing the daesh trash back towards the border from the east.
Russia should send in more airstrikes to support the SDF, this would be a great statement that the US coalition is no longer needed in Syria. The fricking Yanks need to go home !
Russians don’t gp where they are not invited, polite green men.
Yes Russia have the upper hand because the Kurds can’t export their oil due to them being surrounded on all sides by people who hate them! They certainly can’t fly their oil out at $55 per barrel lol!
Kurds are fucked because USA won’t leave and Russia won’t help them unless the USA leave! Kurds are going to rely on imported goods! They don’t have control of Tabqa damn either because Turkey has control of the Euphrates!
Kurds are screwed!
The SDF must have run out of new uniforms to give to ISIS members for them to join the SDF.
SDF will take the remainder of the river valley in due time, slowly but steadily. They are now digging in, creating holding positions, building up reserves in men and materiel in case of US halting resupply, attacks from Turkey, Iranians and proxies.
SDF are deliberately leaving this section of the river occupied by isis so that SAA troops are tied up and isis can also lob artillery and mortar attacks upon SAA positions!
The SAA advanced 70km in 1 day through oil rich isis regions when the SAA reached DeZ city but now they can’t advance a few km per week even with Russian help!
You know what the deal is! You’re still a rat!
If the SDF is struggling why don’t they ask the SAA for help? teamwork is a must they would soon clear the area makes sense