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On September 24, ISIS fighters shelled a position of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Russian Army in Mazlum village on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river with mortars and Katyusha rockets, according to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq.
It’s very likely Russia’s Lieutenant General, Valery Asapov, was killed in that attack. According to Russian media reports, the general was a commander of Russian task forces in Deir Ezzor and Raqqah provinces.
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Russia will likely react to the incident with increased bombing campaign against ISIS terrorists in the province of Deir Ezzor. Strikes of Russian strategic bombers and cruise missile strikes of the Russian Navy are likely expected soon against ISIS targets.
Amaq also claimed that ISIS fighters attacked a unit of the SAA in Mazlum village. Amaq said that 7 SAA soldiers were killed, 3 other were injured, and a BMP-1 vehicle of the SAA was destroyed in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Russian Army delivered at least 2 PMM-2M Self-propelled ferry vehicles to the SAA to support its operation in Deir Ezzor province. The PMM-2M is capable of moving up to 42tons of equipment across water obstacles more than 500 meters and wide up to 6 km.
A video also appeared showing fresh government reinforcements heading for operations in Deir Ezzor city:
On September 22, the Russian military also delivered at least 2 BMK-MO boats to the SAA in Deir Ezzor. This allows to suggest that the main SAA attack on eastern back of the Euphrates river and on Saqr island east of Deir Ezzor city is yet to come.
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