IS uses tank to suicide bomb Deir e-Zor

TANK ATTACK: The Islamic State used an unconventional weapon in its effort to dislodge regime forces from Deir e-Zor city, detonating a tank bomb in a regime-controlled neighborhood Tuesday night, reported pro-opposition news agency Aksalser.

“A suicide operation in [Deir e-Zor city], followed by [IS] advances in the industrial and work districts,” said a pro-IS account over Twitter on Wednesday.

While IS controls most of Deir e-Zor city, regime forces are firmly entrenched just south of the provincial capital, where the regime-controlled military airport and industrial district are located.

The tank bomb exploded near a post office, which IS then quickly captured. Gunfire between IS and regime fighters continued into Wednesday morning, said the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with a IS military leader reportedly injured in the fighting.

In addition to the post office, the tank bomb targeted a nearby shabiha base [pro-regime militia], said pro-opposition news agency All4Syria.

The fighting around the post office resulted in the deaths of 11 regime soldiers, reported pro-opposition news agency El Dorar.

IS accounts disseminated a series of pictures displaying the process of preparing and executing the tank bomb attack, with IS fighters loading the dilapidated tank with what appears to be bags of explosives.

The tank bomb follows the detonation of a car bomb on Monday in Deir e-Zor’s industrial district. 

IS controls most of the eastern, oil-rich province of Deir e-Zor but has yet to completely drive out the regime forces in the eponymous city.

-December 3, 2014

– Photo courtesy of Media Office for Wilayet al-Kher.

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