Syria Army Destroys Tunnel Used by Daesh in Deir Ez-Zor
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syria’s army and its allies discovered and destroyed a tunnel burrowed deep underground and used by Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorists during a counter-terrorism operation on the outskirts of the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor.
Unnamed military sources said army soldiers uncovered the 60-meter-long tunnel on Friday as they were making gains in their fight against the terrorists in al-Mwazafin neighborhood in Deir ez-Zor, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.
A large number of the militants were killed on the spot in the tunnel.
Syrian forces also shelled the positions of the terrorists in the areas of al-Omal, al-Mattar al-Qadim, al-Reshdia, al-Panorama, al-Taim Road, al-Taim School, Tallet al-Sonof, and Hawijit Saqar, inflicting heavy losses upon them.
Additionally, Syrian warplanes pounded the gathering centers of Daesh militants in al-Hajif area, southwest of Deir ez-Zor, killing and injuring a number of terrorists.
In a separate development, the army scored gains against terrorists in the central province of Homs and managed to wrest control of al-Abtar, al-Sawwana and Khenfis there.
The Syrian government forces are now busy defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) left behind by the militants, the report added.
Over the past six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the Syrian crisis until then. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.
