A Saturday morning offensive by ISIS troops left the group in control of an important hospital in the contested eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, an offensive which left at least 35 Syrian troops killed. ISIS forces also captured a number of medical personnel.
The military has reportedly recovered the hospital since then, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting another 24 ISIS fighters killed in the counter-offensive at Assad Hospital. It does not appear that the hostage medical workers were recovered.
The hospital itself does not appear to have been the primary point of the ISIS push, which also saw them take a police checkpoint, a fire station, and some university dorms. The site is on the main supply route between the Syrian Army base in the city and the airport.
Deir Ezzor has been contested for years, with ISIS holding much of the city but never quite able to expel the military from its remaining bases there. As one of the few eastern cities in Syria with significant military presence, it is seen as a key staging area for government forces against ISIS.
The banner to raise money on the homepage is disgusting. Nobody at antiwar.com should be under the illusion that the US is protecting countries that are freeloaders. First, there is no enemy to peace and freedom in the world but the US. And second, the people at antiwar.com should be the first to know that Kosovo, Ukraine, and past other countries weren’t being protected. Where the fu-k is Nebojsa Malic? He should be pulling his hair out over this shameful display of US vanity and ignorance.
Don,
I am traveling, so I am out of the loop as to what is happening. I agree with you. This sounds like Justin’s idiotic Trump gas.