MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Syrian government troops have been shelled twice from areas on the western bank of the Euphrates controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US military, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.
"The Syrian governmental troops have been shelled twice from the areas on the western bank of the Euphrates controlled by the Syrian Democratoc Forces and the US military," Konashenkov said.
Liberation of Deir ez-Zor
According to the spokesman, over 85 percent of the territory of Deir ez-Zor is under full control of Syrian troops.
"More than 85 percent of Deir ez-Zor's territory is under full control of Syrian troops. Over the next week the city will be liberated completely," he said.
"During the past 24 hours, the Syrian government troops continued their offensive operations to destroy the last Daesh bridgehead near the city of Deir ez-Zor. Over the past night, General Suhel's assault detachments cleared about 16 square kilometers and two settlements on the western bank of the Euphrates of terrorists," Konashenkov said.
Konashenkov said that against the backdrop of the Syrian troops' success, the international coalition led by the United States and the Syrian Democratic Forces stopped the operation to liberate Raqqa.
"Russian control means the registered transfer of SDF militants from the province of Raqqa to the northern areas of Deir ez-Zor province," he said.
The spokesman said SDF militants approaching Deir ez-Zor from the north were joining the battle unhindered on orders from the Daesh terrorists.
"Russian Special Operations Forces servicemen, jointly with Syrian troops, are carrying out combat tasks to destroy ISIL [Daesh] terrorists in those areas," Konashenkov said, adding that a representative of the US Armed Forces command in Qatar had been told that attempts of shelling from areas where the SDF militants were would be stopped.