Syrian Army Launches Counterattack in Deir ez-Zor after US Air Raid

According to Tasnim dispatches, the Syrian troops managed to retake positions in al-Tharda Mountain in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor, killing dozens of Daesh terrorists on Saturday.

A military source said that the Syrian Army retook control over a military airport near the city.

The counterattack came after US-led coalition jets bombed Syrian forces’ positions near Deir ez-Zor, killing at least 80 troops and “paving the way” for Daesh militants, according to the Syrian Army General Command.

The bombing took place on al-Tharda Mountain and caused casualties and destruction on the ground, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported on Saturday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the aircraft which carried out the bombings had entered Syrian airspace from the territory of Iraq.

Four strikes against Syrian positions was performed by two F-16 jet fighters and two A-10 support aircraft, it added.

The Defense Ministry also confirmed a report by SANA that a Daesh offensive began right after Syrian Army positions were hit from the air.

The Syrian General Command has called the bombing a “serious and blatant aggression” against Syrian forces, and said it was "conclusive evidence" that the US and its allies support Daesh militants.

The US Central Command later has issued a statement, saying that it had no intention of targeting Syrian government forces near Deir ez-Zor.

“Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias in close proximity, but (the) coalition would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit,” the statement read.

An unnamed US military official told Reuters that he was “pretty sure” that the targets hit in US-led coalition air strike on Saturday had been Syrian forces.

According to the official, the bombings in Deir ez-Zor were carried out using US intelligence, which was being gathered for days.