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A group of ISIS fighters crossed to the western bank of the Euphrates River at the early hours of January 2 and attacked a camp of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the town of al-Siyal, according to the Syrian pro-government al-Masdar News blog.
The terrorists, who came from the remaining ISIS positions on the eastern bank of the river, stormed the camp and managed to killed more than 20 Syrian soldiers. Al-Masdar News said that most of the casualties were killed while they were sleeping.
In the last few months, ISIS launched several similar attacks on SAA positions along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. It’s still unclear how the terrorist group is still able to cross the river despite that it is supposedly monitored by the US-led coalition, which is besieging the ISIS-held pocket there.
These attacks are likely a desperate attempt by the terrorist group to open an escape route between its positions in the Homs desert and on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River through the government-held areas.
