Rebels seize Deir ez‑Zor: shift in Syria's power dynamic
Rebels from HTS, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led by Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, and the Syrian National Army are taking control of more territories. Forces loyal to Assad's regime are retreating. The oil fields in Deir ez-Zor are strategic areas for the country's economy.
Groups opposing President Bashar al-Assad's regime forces are seizing more cities in Syria. The collapse of the regime and the leader's escape to Russia have enabled them to assume control without a struggle in many areas.
According to the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, the latest city taken by the rebel army is Deir ez-Zor in the northeastern part of the country.
The new authorities, who captured the capital of Syria, Damascus, on Sunday, have assured all ethnic and religious groups in Syria of the safety of their property and places of worship. As Al-Jazeera highlights, this assurance extends to Christians, Druze, and Kurds.
A video from Deir ez-Zor was circulated on social media, showing columns of armed individuals advancing towards the administrative centre of Deir ez-Zor province without encountering resistance.
- After liberating the eastern and western outskirts of Deir ez-Zor, and the withdrawal of regime forces and Iranian militants, we announce that the city of Deir ez-Zor and its airport are completely liberated - stated Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdel Ghani, as quoted by the Tass agency.
Deir ez-Zor is also a strategic area due to its rich oil deposits, being a key region for the Syrian energy industry. A significant portion of production originated here before the devastating conflict in the country, ongoing since 2011.
A considerable part of the infrastructure has been damaged. In 2014, as a result of airstrikes on areas then controlled by the Islamic State, 12 refineries in the Deir ez-Zor province were destroyed.
As reported on money.pl, the oil fields became a valuable prize for various armed groups, including the so-called Islamic State Daesh. Some of the production was used for their own needs, while some ended up on the black market and was used to finance the organisation. At their peak, the Islamists controlled most of the oil fields in eastern Syria, producing approximately 5,400 to 6,400 cubic metres per day.
