The Syrian army has expanded its control over several towns and villages in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor as military developments continue to unfold across northeastern Syria, according to field reports.
The advance comes amid intensified clashes with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which reportedly destroyed two bridges over the Euphrates River in an attempt to slow the army’s advance toward the city of Raqqa. One of the bridges, built in 1940 during the British mandate period, was among the key crossings linking both banks of the river.
Syrian army units had previously entered several areas near Raqqa before withdrawing to the opposite bank of the Euphrates following communications aimed at allowing SDF elements, particularly fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to evacuate their families, including members of the so-called Revolutionary Youth groups.
At the same time, Syrian forces took control of the Baath Dam near the town of Mansoura, approximately 35 kilometers west of Raqqa, a move that opened the route toward Syria’s Jazira region, a strategically significant area in the northeast.
Meanwhile, developments remain fluid in the city of al-Thawra, where armed PKK-affiliated groups are reportedly entrenched in several buildings and are accused of using civilians as human shields to avoid targeting by the Syrian army.
The escalation follows a deadly incident at Ayed Prison, where dozens of detainees were killed in what Syrian authorities described as a crime committed by SDF and PKK elements. The Syrian government condemned the incident in an official statement issued late on Monday.
As the Syrian army, backed by tribal fighters, continues its advance and secures additional positions, armed groups attempting to withdraw across the Euphrates have reportedly been surrounded inside the city of al-Tabqa, further tightening the military situation in the area.
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