Fierce clashes erupt between Syrian forces, Daesh militants

LONDON - 15 September 2017: Fierce clashes broke out between the Syrian forces and elements of Daesh terrorist group in Deir ez-Zor city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Thursday.

The clashes were concentrated in the surroundings of Deir ez-Zor airport in an attempt by the Syrian forces, backed by Russian air forces, to safeguard the airport and facilitate the operation of flights to and from it, SOHR told US-based Radio Sawa.

The observatory further asserted that the Syrian forces seek to prepare Deir ez-Zor airport to be used as a base for Russian warplanes in their airstrikes against Daesh militants on the banks of the Euphrates River and inside Deir ez-Zor city.