The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the Syrian army assisted by Russian military aviation has dealt a blow to Daesh terrorist group in the center and east of the war-torn country.
"Over the past two weeks, the Syrian government troops with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces have achieved important advances and dealt a decisive blow to Daesh terrorists in Syria's east and center," the chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, said.
He said that the the lifting of Deir ez-Zor's siege by the Syrian government forces is the most important victory of Damascus.
"We have won the battle over terrorist groups near the city of Deir ez Zor, which is superior in its significance and scale to all previous victories. The Syrian people had been waiting for this for more than three years," Rudskoy said.
Daesh terrorists used about 50 vehicles with explosives during the clashes in Deir ez-Zor area, while 28 of them were destroyed by government troops, the Russian Armed Forces' group commander in Syria said.
"The units of the Syrian army disoriented the enemy about the destination of the main attack by false maneuvers. During fierce clashes, the terrorists used about 50 vehicles with explosives and 28 of them were destroyed by government forces' units," Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin said.
The Russian military added that all the counterattacks carried out by terrorists had been repelled.
One more Syrian army grouping, which approached the city from the direction of As-Sukhnah, is storming terrorists' fortifications at the gates of Deir ez-Zor, the Russian general said.
The Syrian government forces are conducting an offensive on Deir ez-Zor from the south along the Euphrates River, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
On Tuesday, the Syrian army assisted by Russia managed to finally break the three-year Daesh siege of the city of Deir ez-Zor, with food and ammunition only being delivered to the city by air, while helicopters from the city of Qamishli had been evacuating the wounded and delivering essential supplies to the city's population.
When commenting on the successful operation on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian strikes on Daesh terrorist group's positions, including today's frigate's strikes with cruise missiles from the Mediterranean, allowed the Syrian Armed Forces to break the 3-year siege of Deir ez-Zor. The Russian strikes conducted simultaneously by aviation and a warship destroyed Daesh fortified areas, undergound tunnels, artillery positions and ammunition depots near Deir ez-Zor.
