Operation Featherweight: Month 39, Week 3, Day 5.

This should be read as a direct continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/operation-featherweight-month-39-week-3.html

Alongside side their operation to liberate Raqqa City the SDF launched an operation codenamed; "Cizre Storm" on September 9th (9/9/17).

The starting point for the operation is the Madan-Shaddadi Line.

This stretches from the town of Madan on the banks of the Euphrates River around 65km (40 miles) north-west of Deir-ez-Zour City to the town of Shaddadi on the banks of the Khobar River around 100km (60 miles) north-east of Deir-ez-Zour City.

The objective of the operation is for the SDF to advance some 200km (120 miles) south-east from the Madan-Shaddadi Line to Syria's border with Iraq.

This will see the SDF advance across the Khobar River basin allowing them to use the Euphrates River as the boundary of the area under their control designated; "Shangri-La." It will also see the SDF take control of a number of key oil fields keeping them out of the hands of both ISIL and the Syrian government.

Initially the operation made great progress. On September 13th (13/9/17) the SDF reached the Industrial Zone on the outskirts of Deir-ez-Zour City. They did this by extending a roughly 3km (1.8 mile) wide and 55km (30 mile) deep corridor from the Madan-Shaddadi Line to the Industrial Zone.

Unfortunately the Cizre Storm operation was being conducted almost exclusively by an element of the SDF coalition calling themselves the; "Syrian Elite Forces (SEF)."

Considered elite by no-one but themselves this is a fragment of the FSA which previously fought alongside ISIL against the Syrians in Deir-ez-Zour City. They had only joined the SDF a few weeks previously and had not gone through any sort of effective vetting procedure.

Having arrived at the Industrial Zone on the outskirts of Deir-ez-Zour City the SEF then proceeded to stand still. Rather than continuing the mission they demanded that CJTFOIR back them to once again join up with ISIL to fight the Syrians in the city.

After five days of waiting for the SEF refuse to move the Russians decided to give the SDF and CJTFOIR something of a boot up the bum on September 18th (18/9/17).

This involved conducting a small, airstike close to SDF's positions just outside Deir-ez-Zour City. Rather than being intended to cause death or injury the purpose of this strike was to nudge the SDF back onto their mission. It's similar to how on a pinball table an impact on one of the bumpers sends the ball off in another direction.

Sadly the US military which lead CJTFOIR seems to have been infected with the same anti-Russian hysteria which is so prevalent in what passes for US politics these days. As a result they have totally misunderstood the Russian and Syrian objectives in the advance towards Deir-ez-Zour City.

The US has viewed the Syrians advance as a mad scramble to seize the oil fields in the Khobar basin and block the SDF's advance into the region. It is in fact something much less sinister.

Back September 10th (10/9/17) the US State of Florida was effectively cut off from the rest of the country by Hurricane Irma. This led to a tense 30 hour wait before relief supplies could be brought in.

More recently US President Donald Trump has faced something of a political backlash following a percieved eight day delay in distributing relief supplies on the US territory of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria on September 20th (20/9/17).

Syrian troops and Syrian civilians have been totally besieged by ISIL within Deir-ez-Zour City since March 2014.

You only need to look at the anger at a perceived eight day delay in getting humanitarian aid to Puerto Rico or the relief that aid was able to be sent to Florida after just 30 hours to understand the huge pressure on the Syrian government to ease the suffering of Syrian citizens in Deir-ez-Zour City.

Due to their inability to understand the tactic Syrian and particularly Russian support for the SDF's Cizre Storm operation CJTFOIR were obviously unable to understand the September 18th (18/9/17) strike.

So rather than taking the hint they responded with anger threatening to strike Syrian and Russian positions. Believing they had the support of CJTFOIR that is exactly what the SEF did on September 19th (19/9/17).

Fortunately more established elements of the SDF then took over the Cizre Storm operation.

On September 20th (20/9/17) they launched an advance towards the Khobar River on three axis;

The first axis set out to advance south-east from the Industrial Zone on the outskirts of Deir-ez-Zour City along the north bank of the Euphrates. This axis is heading the general direction of al-Zuwaymiyah - a village on the junction of where the Khobar reaches the Euphrates. However the objective is to clear all of the area between the Industrial Zone and the Khobar River.

The second axis set out to advance east from the Madan-Shaddadi Line - Industrial Zone corridor. This axis is headed in the direction of as-Suwar - a town sitting on the banks of the Khobar around 50km (30 miles) north-east of Deir-ez-Zour city.

The third axis set out to advance south from Shaddadi to the town of Markadah. This sits on the banks of the Khobar around 45km (25 miles) south of Shaddadi and around 95km (60 miles) north-east of Deir-ez-Zour City.

On September 23rd (23/9/17) the first axis reached and liberated the Conoco gas plant at the al-Isba Oil & Gas Fields.

Obviously oil fields by their nature cover a large area. However at its closest point the al-Isba field is around 3km (1.8 miles) south-east of the Deir-ez-Zour Industrial Zone. At its furthest point it is around 14km (8 miles) south-east of the Industrial Zone and around 14km (8 miles) west of the Khobar River.

On September 30th (30/9/17) the first axis reached and liberated the Jafra Oil & Gas Fields. At its closest point this is around 15km (9 miles) south-east of the Deir-ez-Zour Industrial Zone. At its furthest point it is around 25km (15 miles) south-east of the Industrial Zone and only 5km (3 miles) west of the Khobar River.

Since then the first axis has concentrated on liberating a number of small villages and farms between the oil fields and the Euphrates River.

On September 26th (26/9/17) the second axis reached the town of as-Suwar. On September 29th (29/9/17) they declared the town fully liberated. Since then they have been working to increase their control over the town and the villages and farms that surround it.

The progress of the third axis has been slower. On Wednesday (4/10/17) they reached the town of Markadah. There have since been unconfirmed reports that they have fully liberated the town.

Although they do not have full control of the area between the Madan-Shaddadi Line and the Khobar River the advances of these three axis' means that the SDF now have effective control of the area.

Due particularly to the first and second axis' it is no longer realistically possible for the Syrians to cross the Euphrates at Deir-ez-Zour City and outflank the SDF to take control of the areas west of the Khobar.

On September 25th (25/9/17) Russia conducted a follow up to the September 18th (18/9/17) airstrike. On this occasion they struck the SDF at the newly liberated al-Isba Field.

The SDF again responded by firing against Syrian positions. However CJTFOIR appear to have learnt their lesson only putting out a statement pledging to work more closely with Russia to avoid any such incidents in the future.

For their part the Syrians have shown little interest in attempting to block the SDF's advance on the Khobar River.

In breaking the siege of Deir-ez-Zour City the Syrians established a line of control between the town of as-Suknah and Deir-ez-Zour City. This is known as the Suknah-Deir-ez-Zour Line.

Since the September 18th (18/9/17) standoff the Syrians have focused their attention on clearing ISIL from the area north of the Suknah-Deir-ez-Zour Line to the Euphrates River. This was largely completed with the liberation of the town of Madan on September 24th (24/9/17).

While the Syrians have been focused on clearing the area to the north ISIL have been attacking them to the south of the Suknah-Deir-ez-Zour Line.

On September 28th (28/9/17) ISIL launched an operation codenamed; "Abu Muhammad al-Adani Offensive." This seems to have been focused not only on cutting as-Suknah off from Deir-ez-Zour City but also on cutting as-Suknah off from Palmyra.

Having misread particularly the Russians intentions towards Deir-ez-Zour City CJTFOIR have been attempting to throw obstacles in the way of the Syrians advance. This including blocking buses carrying ISIL fighters and their families from the Arsal Barrens from reaching Deir-ez-Zour city and the SEF's attacks on Syrian positions.

It is well established that under former President Barack Obama the US was one of the main sponsors of ISIL. Therefore the assumption on the part of the Syrians and the Russians is that this al-Adani offensive is being directed by the US as part of this pattern of obstruction. Russia has even publicly accused the US of directing ISIL's operations.

As a result the response to ISIL's al-Adani offensive has been furious. The Syrians and their Russian backers have had no problem withstanding this offensive and from last Friday (29/9/17) have actually been taking territory from ISIL.

Today there are unconfirmed reports that the Syrians have entered the city of Mayadin. Believed to be ISIL's capital within Syria this sits on the banks of the Euphrates around 50km (30 miles) south-east of Deir-ez-Zour City. It also sits around 20km (12 miles) west of the Khobar River.

As such if these reports are true and the Syrians are able to liberate Mayadin that then would give them the opportunity to outflank the SDF and prevent them from liberating the area between the Khobar River and the Syria/Iraq border.

16:45 on 6/10/17 (UK date).