Syrian Army Kills 150 ISIS Fighters in Deir Ezzor

Reports out of Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor Province, ISIS forces launched multiple attacks against military targets in several contested areas around the outskirts of the capital city, sparking major battles. The Syrian state media reported 150 ISIS killed in today’s fighting, and the ISIS forces foiled. They did not indicate how many troops were killed.

Deir Ezzor Province is considered hugely valuable, as one of Syria’s largest oil producing provinces. ISIS controls the vast majority of the province, though Syria’s government retains control of most of the city of Deir Ezzor, and the nearby military airfield.

ISIS has launched repeated offensives trying to gain more territory in recent months, mostly to little effect, but this is the second major push they’ve made in the past few days, with a Tuesday ISIS attack on the town of Jnaineh sparking a battle that left 60 killed and an unknown number wounded.

Details are still scant on both of these incidents, with Syrian officials emphasizing the large ISIS death tolls but not offering particulars about where the fighting was taking place. At any rate, they underscore the continued interest of ISIS forces in gaining more of the province, and shoring up their hold on territory along the Iraq/Syria border.