Deir ez-Zor offensive (2016)

On 16 January 2016, ISIL militants launched an attack on Deir ez-Zor. In the initial fighting, at least 35 Syrian Arab Army soldiers and allied militia fighters were killed. The group used "six suicide bombers first and they tried to break into military positions but they failed," according to the government. The British-based SOHR added that the group "carried out several assaults" during the day.[12]

After parts of the city were overrun by ISIL, pro-government fighters and their families were among those attacked in the neighborhoods of Baghiliya and Ayyash. The Syrian government and state media said that 250[13]-300[14] people were killed, including some by beheading;[13] the SOHR had differing numbers, reporting 135 fatalities,[14] of which 85 were civilians and 50 soldiers.[15] ISIL also captured an army weapons depot and seized tanks.[13] SOHR added that ISIL kidnapped about 400 civilians from families of pro-government fighters. "There is genuine fear for their lives, there is a fear that the group might execute them as it has done before in other areas."[16] "Abu Hamza Al-Ansari”, a top ISIL commander in the province, was killed during an ISIS offensive on Ayyash and Al-Bughayliyah by the 104th Airborne Brigade.[4]

ISIL forces continued to advance on areas held by the Syrian Government north west of Deir ez-Zor City, taking areas south and west of Baghiliya.[16]

Counter-strikes by Russian Air Force fighter jets, in support of Syrian army forces, were reported[14] to take back the areas. Around 60 ISIL fighters were killed in airstrikes, according to the Russian defense ministry.

On 19 January, ISIL launched a new offensive against government territory, taking advantage of a dust storm that all but grounded Russian warplanes.[17] Over 80 ISIS fighters were killed while battling government forces in the Al-Baghayliyah District. 75-82 government soldiers (11 of them from the NDF) and 12 pro-government Shaytat tribesmen also died.[3] On the next day, a pro-government source claimed government forces recaptured the Saiqa Camp, the Tal Kroum hilltop and the Ayyash weapons depot.[18] However, subsequent reports confirmed they were still ISIL-held.[19][20] Later on 20 January, the Al-Baghaliyeh district also fell to ISIL[17] and the jihadists took the Missile Battalion Base, south of Deir Ezzor,[21] and the Al Mari'iyah farms.[2] Earlier in the day, a Russian air force operation delivered 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid to civilians in Al-Baghaliyeh.[22] The advances left ISIL in control of at least 60% of Deir ez-Zor city. At this time, ISIL released 270 of the 400 civilians kidnapped over the weekend.[17][22]

On 21 January, the Syrian army launched an offensive against the Baghiliya district,[23] with 11 soldiers being killed.[24]