The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday, December 6, established control over the key city in eastern Syria — Deir ez-Zor, Reuters reports. This is the third major city that President Bashar al-Assad's government forces have lost in the past week.
The SDF's rapid offensive allowed them to seize a large part of Syria's eastern desert, leaving government forces without strategic strongholds in the region. The Syrian military and Iranian-backed Iraqi fighters reportedly left Deir ez-Zor before SDF forces entered the city.
According to Reuters sources, SDF units are now moving towards the city of Abu Kemal in the east of the country and may capture it within the next 24 hours.
This success of the rebels coincided with the advance of the militants of the Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham group in the central part of Syria. Their attack on the city of Homs added to a series of large-scale operations that had previously captured important cities such as Aleppo and Hama.
The latest events have become the biggest military losses of the Assad regime in recent years and indicate a significant strengthening of rebel groups.
