"Mistake" airstrikes by the USA and its allies

[Aeneas]

https://southfront.org/us-air-force-struck-pro-turkish-militants-civilians-instead-of-isis-in-aleppo/

October 3rd, 2016

US Air Force Struck Pro-Turkish Militants & Civilians Instead of ISIS in Northern Syria


Once again the US Air Force has made a ‘mistake’ and bombed civilians and pro-Turkish armed groups in Syria.

On October 3, after another thorough intelligence preparation, two F-16 fighter jets and two AC-130H aircraft of the US Air Force carried out a number of planned airstrikes on the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the area of clashes with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) between the settlements of Marea and Asunbul in the province of Aleppo. However, the airstrikes hit Marea itself and the ‘moderate’ opposition.

It is not profitable for Turkish authorities and commanders of pro-Turkish illegal armed groups to advertise these ‘mistakes’ loudly now.

For this reason, the information about victims among residents and militants still has not been disclosed. But it is obvious that we are talking about another deliberate ‘mistake’ because right at this time the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), created by the US and represented by the strike force of Kurdish units, and the US Special Forces are advancing to El Bab. It looks like the US Air Force purposefully deters competitors, represented by the FSA and Turks. And there are several reasons for this.

Already for several weeks clashes between different sides have been ongoing in northern Syria. Eastern and western Syrian Kurds have been fighting with the IS, Kurdish separatists – with the Turkish Army and armed units of the FSA, the so-called SDF have been fighting against the IS and the same pro-Turkish armed groups. Lastly, Turkish media and the Turkish Defense Ministry state that now the FSA is quite active fighting against the IS in order to take control over the settlements of Al-Rai and Dabiq that are strategic from the point of view of the Turkish buffer zone.

As it is known, the US Air Force supports Turkish operations against the IS. Recently, the US Special Forces have also ‘entered the game,’ but it has to avoid collisions with pro-Turkish jihadists.

However, US military instructors are still also staying among the SDF and Kurdish groups, which are the first enemies of Ankara and, therefore, of the Turkish Army and ‘freelance Turkish infantry,’ consisting of a number of Syrian Islamist groups. And this enemy is much more important for Turkey than the IS terrorist group, for which there are reasonably suspicions of too mild form of resistance, exerted to the pro-Turkish groups.

Some experts believe that this resistance became markedly harder after a series of negative statements of the Turkish government regarding to the US, in particular, after Turkish President Erdogan’s speech in New York, when in an interview with Bloomberg he accused the US of the ongoing military and financial support of ‘Kurdish terrorists.’

Other experts think that it is more likely that the US intends to use Turks and their ‘friends’ from the FSA in order to not allow Kurdish units to unite and, at the same time, to not allow groups, depended on Turkey, to be strengthened.

Strategists at the Pentagon also need to slow down the advancement of the FSA near Al-Rai and Dabiq, as after taking control over the settlements the way to Al-Bab will be opened for Turkish infantry. Then the way to Raqqa also will be opened and they already will not really need any support of Kurdish groups and even the US.

 

[Aeneas]

Again the US airforce strikes the forces fighting ISIL. This time near Mosul in Iraq:

October 5th, 2016
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950714000790

US Airstrike Kills 20 Iraqi Sunni Popular Forces, Injures 5 Others Near Mosul

TEHRAN (FNA)- The US fighter jets pounded the military positions of Iraqi volunteer forces near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province on Wednesday, killing and injuring the anti-ISIL popular forces.

"A sum of 20 Iraqi Sunni tribal forces were killed and 5 others were wounded when the US warplanes hit their position in the village of Kharaeb in al-Qayyara region," a battlefield source said.

Al-Qayyara is located approximately 300 kilometers to the North of Baghdad.

The Iraqi volunteer forces had reportedly gathered at the site when the aerial attack took place.

The US airstrikes came as the Iraqi volunteer forces warned against the US plan to increase the number of its troops in Iraq, and vowed harsh reaction to any such troops deployment.

"Increasing the number of US military men is a source of concern and the Hashd al-Shaabi will not tolerate the US redeployment," Sayyed al-Shohada Battalions affiliated to Hashd al-Shaabi said.

On July 11, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that Washington would send 560 troops to Iraq to back up Mosul liberation operations.

On August 6, the US media reported that Washington will send another 400 soldiers to Iraq.

The US Department of Defense claims that there are less than 4,000 US troops in Iraq while a research by Washington Post newspaper shows that the number of US soldiers in Iraq exceeds 5,000.

On September 28, the US defense officials announced that Pentagon will dispatch another 600 ground troops to Iraq to help the country with Mosul liberation operation.

The US troops are now stationed in al-Qayyara military base located 65 kilometers to the South of Mosul.

The Iraqi volunteer forces are against the US deployment in Iraq.

Perhaps this was the US response to the anger about deploying more US troops: kill the local militia fighting ISIL, so that the need arises for more troops. In that way the US can better control the situation as they don't have to consider the militias and listen to their points of view. Something that the US has never been good at, listening to other peoples' points of view.

 

[Nević Nenad]

http://katehon.com/news/war-crime-us-bombings-kill-20-and-injure-40-syrian-civilians

Wednesday, 5 October, 2016 - 17:45

In northern Aleppo province near Al-Bab in Selsan the American coalition has committed a new brutal crime against the Syrians, which resulted in death and injury of civilians.

According to news agencies, based on information from local sources, Selsan locality, located in the 50-km north of Aleppo, has undergone a massive blow air force US-led coalition.

The bombing killed 20, including three children, and injuring more than 40 people, many of them seriously injured, which may lead to an increase in the number of victims.

Sources also reported that the strike destroyed dozens of houses in which the civilians lived.

I think that soon we will see no fly zone over Syria, but established from Russia, Iran and Turkey.

http://katehon.com/news/russia-has-deployed-latest-antey-2500-system-syria

Tuesday, 4 October, 2016 - 12:30

US intelligence reports that Russia has deployed a missile defense system for the first time outside its territory.

In addition, the precise characteristics (US classification of "Gladiator") of the newest system "Antey-2500", as stressed by the CIA, is not yet fully known.

However, adds the source in the intelligence, it clearly will bring extreme danger to the enemy of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, despite the fact that the system has not yet been fully tested.

US intelligence officials have noted the strengthening of the Russian group in Syria.

 

[angelburst29]

The US-led coalition's fighter jets killed at least 60 civilians in Salsana village in the Northeastern parts of Aleppo.

US-Led Coalition Fighter Jets Kill Tens of Civilians in Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950715000209

According to the Arabic-language desk of Sputnik news agency, the US warplanes targeted the residential areas in the village, 50km Northeast of Aleppo city, and killed over 60 civilians, among them several children.

Local sources said that a large number of civilians were also wounded in the attacks, some of them in critical conditions.

"50 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the US-led coalition airstrikes on Deir Ezzur," the sources said.

Noting that the US airstrikes have pounded 7 bridges in the past four days, they said that the bridges on the Euphrates in al-Mayadeen, al-Bu Kamal, al-Ashara, al-Basira, al-Tarif and al-Nowam in the Eastern and Western countryside of Deir Ezzur were attacked before the airstrike on al-Abbas bridge on Sunday.

Army sources in Syria said on Sunday that the US pounded several strategic bridges in Deir Ezzur in the last few days to prevent the army and its allies' further advances in the fight against the ISIL terrorists.

"The US aimed to extend the geographical area of its influence by bombing the strategic bridges in Deir Ezzur and stop the Syrian army's advance in the war against the ISIL," the source told FNA.

The US Defense Department has released video of airstrikes that killed 19 pro-government tribal fighters in Iraq’s Anbar province.

US releases video of Iraqi airstrike that killed 19 pro-government forces
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/10/06/487856/US-Pentagon-Iraq-video-airstrike

The Pentagon’s release of the footage on Thursday is part of a probe that the US has pledged to conduct into the offensive.

Pro-government tribal leaders in western Iraq say 19 of Lahaibi clan fighters were killed and several wounded in the US airstrikes on Wednesday.

The fighters had been engaged in fierce clashes with Daesh terrorists close to Qayyara, south of Mosul.

The Pentagon said the airstrikes were carried out at the request of the Iraqi army.

Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the US-led coalition fighting the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, said it had conducted an airstrike on a building near Kharaeb, a village south of Mosul, that was being used by Daesh.

"We are aware of the reports that Sunni tribal fighters were in the building that was struck, and we are taking those reports seriously," OIR said in a statement announcing a joint investigation with Iraqi security forces.

Last December, over 20 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 30 were injured in an airstrike carried out by the US military.

Last month, 62 Syrian forces were also killed in airstrikes by US-led coalition jets on army positions near Dayr al-Zawr military airport.

 

[angelburst29]

Saudi Coalition Admits Strike on Funeral in Yemen Conducted by Mistake
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046371331-saudi/

The airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children
was conducted by mistake, Saudi-led coalition, fighting rebels in Yemen, said Saturday in the follow-up to the investigation on the matter.

"The team [of investigators] concluded that the representatives of the Yemeni General Headquarters provided the air force operations office with the information, which later proved to be wrong, on the exact location of the Houthi military leaders in Sanaa," the coalition’s statement said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.

Besides, the coalition stressed that the strike was supposed to be conducted against a military target and had not been agreed upon with the coalition’s Central Command.

 

[Aeneas]

Saudi Coalition Admits Strike on Funeral in Yemen Conducted by Mistake
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046371331-saudi/

The airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children
was conducted by mistake, Saudi-led coalition, fighting rebels in Yemen, said Saturday in the follow-up to the investigation on the matter.

"The team [of investigators] concluded that the representatives of the Yemeni General Headquarters provided the air force operations office with the information, which later proved to be wrong, on the exact location of the Houthi military leaders in Sanaa," the coalition’s statement said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.

Besides, the coalition stressed that the strike was supposed to be conducted against a military target and had not been agreed upon with the coalition’s Central Command.

Just to show the scale of this mistake, I include a snippet from this Sott article
https://www.sott.net/article/330678-SOTT-Exclusive-Funeral-massacre-in-Yemen-Houthis-blame-US-mobilize-to-original-Islamic-State-Saudi-Arabias-border-UPDATE

SOTT Exclusive: Funeral massacre in Yemen: Houthis blame U.S., mobilize to original Islamic State Saudi Arabia's border - UPDATE
When Russia and Syria bomb al-Qaeda, the U.S. regime accuses them of war crimes and threatens to launch investigations. When Saudi Arabia deliberately targets hospitals and schools in Yemen - and when the Saudis recently targeted a funeral, killing, over 150 civilians and injuring over 500 more - U.S. officials see "little choice" but to continue supporting the Saudi regime. It's only a war crime when "we" allege that Russia does it. When "we" or our allies actually do it, it's okay. No wonder tens of thousands of Yemenis recently protested at the UN office in Sanaa.

The article highlights the hypocricy of the US

The Saudis have "requested" that the Houthis "pull back" from the border. According to U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner, John Kerry spoke with the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Foreign Ministry, and agreed that it was a great idea:

The Secretary also noted, as part of the broader de-escalation effort, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's legitimate request that the Houthis pull back weapons from Saudi Arabia's border and respect its territorial integrity.

Just like a "no-fly zone" means "American-only fly zone", "de-escalation" simply means the U.S. and Saudi Arabia want the Houthis to stop fighting back, so the Saudis can bomb the hell out of them with the assistance of U.S. "advisers". No mention about the fact that Saudi Arabia is violating Yemen's territorial integrity...

Yes, no mention of the attack by Saudi Arabia/US on the territorial integrity of Yemen and the right of the people of Yemen to defend their own land. In Syria the government is not allowed to protect itself against the attack by Western supplied mercenaries on the territorial integrity of Syria. At least according to the Empire of Chaos.

 

[angelburst29]

Saudi Coalition Admits Strike on Funeral in Yemen Conducted by Mistake
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610151046371331-saudi/

The airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen's capital of Sanaa that killed over 100 and wounded children
was conducted by mistake, Saudi-led coalition, fighting rebels in Yemen, said Saturday in the follow-up to the investigation on the matter.

US-Led Coalition Strikes Funeral Procession in Iraqi Town - Russian MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610221046620020-us-coalition-iraq-funerals/

Daesh terrorist group is not operating in the area, where dozens of Iraqis, including women and children, have been killed as a result of the coalition's airstrikes.

The Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman called coalition's stikes on residential areas "war crimes."

"We have repeatedly noted that such deadly strikes on residential areas that lhave all signs of war crimes have become almost a daily routine for the aviation of the international coalition," Konashenkov noted.

"On October 21, Russian reconnaissance means detected airstrikes of two warplanes on Daquq town located near Kirkuk where no Daesh militants are present, according to our data," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. "According to witnesses' reports, a mourning procession has been mistakenly identified by the coalition's aviation as a group of militants. Dozens of Iraqi civilians, including women and children died." The Russian Defense Ministry said that it monitores the operation to retake Mosul, adding the the US-led coalition aircraft have conducted 22 sorties and launched 19 airstrikes over the past 24 hours.

 

[angelburst29]

The US-led coalition will investigate information provided by the Russian General Staff on the US jet's attack on a school near Iraqi Mosul, the spokesman for the Operation Inherent Resolve, said Saturday.

US-Led Coalition Vows to Investigate Reports of US Jet's Attack on Iraqi School
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610291046876566-us-attack-mosul-school/

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Friday, the Russian General Staff said that a US Air Force jet attacked a school near the Iraqi city of Mosul.

"There are new cases of [US-led] coalition's airstrikes on civilian targets. On October 24, US Air Force's tactical aircraft launched missile and bomb strikes on a school building in the village of Tall Kayf located 14 kilometers north of Mosul at 3:35. As a result of the strike, there are dead and wounded," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said. "We are aware of the Russian allegations and will investigate to determine if these allegations are credible," the spokesman forthe Operation Inherent Resolve said. The spokesman added that the coalition adhered to "stringent targeting processes and procedures aimed to minimize risks to non-combatants".

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of a military operation to recapture Mosul from Daesh with the help of airstrikes by the US-led coalition.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that targeting mistakes by the member countries of the international coalition occur too often. "Weddings, funerals, hospitals, police departments, humanitarian convoys and even Syrian troops, fighting against Daesh terrorists near Deir ez-Zor, become targets for coalition airstrikes," Konashenkov stressed.

 

[angelburst29]

The death toll from US airstrikes in Kunduz, Afghanistan rose to at least 30 civilians, including women and children, local officials said.

Toll of Afghan Civilians Killed by US Airstrikes Rises to 30
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950815000607

The incident began on Thursday when US warplanes reportedly targeted "two senior Taliban commanders" in the Northern province and the troops came under heavy fire, killing two American service members. Then, the NATO-led mission said on Twitter, airstrikes were carried out "to defend friendly forces under fire", Common Dreams reported.

Those airstrikes caused the dozens of casualties.

"Unfortunately more than 30 civilians, including women and children, were killed during the fighting," Asadullah Amarkhil, the governor of Kunduz, told reporters. "This was a horrible incident," he said, adding that dozens of people were also wounded.

The US military released a statement on the incident, but it does not mention the allegations of the civilians killed.

However, US Army Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, a Kabul-based spokesman for the coalition, said in a separate statement that the entire event, both the death of US service members and the civilian casualties, are now under investigation.

Media also reported that that the deaths of the civilians sparked protests by residents who carried the bodies of those killed through the city.

Just 13 months before the incident, a US airstrike on hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Kunduz killed 42 people.

 

[Aeneas]

Now the attack in Kunduz is being investigated by the UN:
https://www.sott.net/article/333236-Nothing-will-change-UN-investigating-US-airstrike-that-killed-32-civilians-in-Afghanistan

Nothing will change: UN investigating US airstrike that killed 32 civilians in Afghanistan

RT
Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:22 UTC

© Nasir Wakif / Reuters
Afghans perform prayers at the funeral for the victims killed by an air strike called in to protect Afghan and U.S. forces during a raid on suspected Taliban militants, in Kunduz, Afghanistan November 4, 2016.

The United Nations is investigating a US airstrike that killed 32 civilians and injured 19 others in northern Afghanistan on Thursday, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

"The loss of civilian life is unacceptable and undermines efforts toward building peace and stability in Afghanistan," Yamamoto said in a statement.

Thursday's airstrike was called in to support a Special Forces raid on suspected Taliban militants in the area.

The Afghan Special Forces and their US advisers came under heavy fire in Buz Kandahari, with three Afghan troops and two Americans losing lives in the gunfight.

On Saturday, the US military confirmed that it carried out the airstrike in which 32 civilians died, and promised to investigate the incident.

"I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, regardless of the circumstances," Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

"The loss of innocent life is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the families. We will work with our Afghan partners to investigate and determine the facts and we will work with the government of Afghanistan to provide assistance," he added.

The Kandahari tragedy adds to the increasing civilian death toll in Afghanistan, where 95 people were killed and 111 injured during the last seven days, according to UN data.

The city of Kunduz already made headlines last year when a US airstrike on October 3, 2015 killed 42 people, including three children, at the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital.

The US carried out its own investigation into that incident, calling it an "honest mistake," apologizing to the aid group and providing cash to reconstruct the medical facility.

But MSF has called for an independent inquiry, saying that the American probe left too many questions unanswered and had failed to ensure that the tragedy wouldn't be repeated.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday said that while the 15-year history of the US-NATO operation in Afghanistan is "full of such examples" of civilians killed in airstrikes, no incident has seen anyone brought to justice following an investigation.

"No one bears any responsibility - neither at a personal level ... nor at the state level," Zakharova said.

 

[angelburst29]

An airstrike by the US-led coalition killed at least 23 people, including a child, in a town near the ISIL-held city of Raqqa in Northeastern Syria.

US-Led Coalition Airstrike Kills 23 Civilians in Syria’s Raqqa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950819001341

The strike targeted the village of al-Heesha, about 40 kilometers north of Raqqah on Wednesday, presstv reported.

Raqqa, on the Northern bank of the Euphrates River, was overrun by the ISIL terrorists in March 2013 and was proclaimed the terrorist group’s so-called headquarters the following year.

The attack is not the first US-led airstrike to leave civilian casualties.

In mid October, at least 15 civilians were killed when a US-led attack hit areas in the Daham Village near Suluk in the Northeast of Raqqa.

 

[angelburst29]

Over 20 civilians were killed and many more were wounded in the US-led coalition airstrikes in two villages North of Raqqa.

Over 20 Civilians Massacred in US-Led Coalition Air Raids in Northern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950822000706

Nov. 12, 2016 - The US-led coalition's fighter jets bombed the ISIL-villages of al-Hisheh and Khaniz, while backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) offensive there.

At least 20 civilians were killed and more villagers were injured in the air raids.

This is the first case of war crime of the US-led coalition while providing air support for the Kurdish-led attack on Raqqa, codenamed Angry Euphrates Operation. The US-led coalition has done multiple war crimes in other regions of Syria, including Deir Ezzur.

In order to recapture several regions they lost in their previous battles with ISIL, the SDF stormed terrorists' positions and captured the villages of al-Hisheh and al-Roweile,eh.

Taking control over the villages of al-Hisheh and Khaniz by the SDF was done by the direct back up of US-led coalition's fighter jets.

Kurdish forces rejected their role in al-Hisheh massacre and underlined that they had not given any information to coalition's fighter jets about ISIL's positions.

On Wednesday an airstrike by the US-led coalition killed at least 23 people, including a child, in a village near the ISIL-held city of Raqqa in Northeastern Syria.

The strike targeted the village of al-Hisheh, about 40 kilometers North of Raqqa.

Raqqa, on the Northern bank of the Euphrates River, was overrun by the ISIL terrorists in March 2013 and was proclaimed the terrorist group’s so-called headquarters the following year.

The attack is not the first US-led airstrike to leave civilian casualties.

In mid October, at least 15 civilians were killed when a US-led attack hit areas in the Daham Village near Sulouk in the Northeast of Raqqa.

 

[Aeneas]

There was another strike by the US coalition yesterday that killed 10 civilians. I lost track of where I read it, but there is a mention of it in another article:
_http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/11/22/494637/Syria-Ansar-alIslam-9K32-Strela2-missiles

Monday the 21st of Nov.,2016

Also on Monday, ten civilians were killed when fighter jets from a US-led military coalition hit an area in the al-Salehiyah Village of the northern Syrian province of al-Raqqah.

 

[Aeneas]

There was another strike by the US coalition yesterday that killed 10 civilians. I lost track of where I read it, but there is a mention of it in another article:
_http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/11/22/494637/Syria-Ansar-alIslam-9K32-Strela2-missiles

Monday the 21st of Nov.,2016

Also on Monday, ten civilians were killed when fighter jets from a US-led military coalition hit an area in the al-Salehiyah Village of the northern Syrian province of al-Raqqah.

Here is a link and story to the incident:
_http://sana.sy/en/?p=94008

21 November، 2016

Ten civilians, some of them children, killed in airstrike by US-led coalition in Raqqa
Raqqa, SANA – Aircrafts of the US-led international coalition committed a new massacre against Syrians, claiming the lives of more than ten persons in an airstrike on al-Salehia village in the northern countryside of Raqqa province.

Local and media sources said that coalition aircrafts targeted a modest cotton-spinning plant in al-Salehia village, claiming the lives of three workers, an entire family of six displaced people who were residing the village, some of whom were children, in addition to one local man.

The sources added that a number of locals were injured and significant material damage was caused to the locals’ properties and houses due to the airstrike.

Manar al-Freih / Hazem Sabbagh

 

[angelburst29]

Over 17 civilians were killed and many more were wounded in separate air attacks of the US-led coalition and Turkish Air Force in the two provinces of Raqqa and Aleppo.

Civilians Massacred in Air Raids of US-Led Coalition, Turkish Warplanes in Northern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950902000257

Tue Nov 22, 2016 - The US-led coalition's fighter jets bombed a spinning workshop in the village of al-Salehiyeh in Raqqa, killing three workers and seven residents of the village.

Several villagers were also wounded and their houses sustained major damage in the air raid.

Elsewhere, Turkish warplanes in cooperation with the US drones attacked the town of al-Sheikh Naser Northeast of the town of al-Bab in Syria's Aleppo province, leaving seven civilians dead and ten more wounded.

Earlier this month, over 20 civilians were killed and many more were wounded in the US-led coalition airstrikes in two villages North of Raqqa.

The US-led coalition's fighter jets bombed the ISIL-villages of al-Hisheh and Khaniz, while backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) offensive there.

At least 20 civilians were killed and more villagers were injured in the air raids.

It was the first case of war crime of the US-led coalition while providing air support for the Kurdish-led attack on Raqqa, codenamed Euphrates Rage Operation. The US-led coalition has carried out multiple war crimes in other regions of Syria, including Deir Ezzur.