SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC (Reuters) – The Syrian government forces on Monday vowed to continue their offensive in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor after advancing to the Syrian-Iraqi border in the eastern Syrian desert.
After reaching the Syrian-Iraqi border region east of the Syrian city of Homs, the government forces’ next plan was to capture the Al-Tanf border crossing, one of the three official border crossings between Syria and Iraq, from the hands of United States-backed opposition forces.
However, they changed plans after the US-led coalition launched two air strikes on the pro-government forces in the area and decided to advance further into the desert.
At a stronghold of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) only 50 kilometers away from the Syrian-Iraqi border, SAA soldiers say the battle in the area is yet to finish even after they took control of the area.
“We could be in danger anytime here. Taking control of the area doesn’t mean we are safe here. We could be surrounded or attacked by a car bomb here, so we should always stay alert,” said a SAA soldier named Fadi.
Jamal Ismael, a general of the SAA, told the press that the government forces will continue their operations against the opposition forces in the desert.
“We plan to eradicate all the terrorists in this desert, then advance to Deir ez-Zor, close to the Euphrates River, to assist the forces in town to break out of the extremists’ encirclement,” said Ismael.
Taking over the Syrian-Iraqi border region will enable the government forces to open a supply route from Iraq or Iran for their operation to capture Deir ez-Zor, according to reports.
