The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, have been advancing against ISIS in the city of Deir Ezzor aiming to lift the siege from the Deir Ezzor Airport.
As result of a series of firefights, army and NDF troops seized an important hilltop near the cemetery and seized a notable part of the cemetery itself.
Despite the ISIS resistance, government forces are now close to linking the Deir Ezzor Airprot with the rest of the government-held pocket. Government troops control important hilltops in the area and have a support from Russian warplanes. This allows to counter the ISIS advantage in the manpower.