Launched by the YPG, YPJ and Deir ez-Zor Military Council on 9 September 2017, the Operation Cizire Storm is proceeding in its 59th day. The SDF fighters, who are advancing along the Euphrates River coast, have liberated many regions that include strategic areas such as Konika and Jafra, the largest oil field in Syria.

The villages along the Euphrates are quite big, which enables ISIS gangs to easily hide and deploy in those villages. Not only have these gangs built up defense lines where these villages end, but also planted mines in several areas.

The main challenge is not the battle with ISIS gangs, but rather them targeting civilians with bomb-laden vehicles and assassination actions. Because of these attacks, civilians flee from ISIS-occupied areas and take refuge in SDF-held areas.

The SDF fighters are used to work as precisely as possible so as not to harm the homes of the civilians and to save the people trapped in their homes and villages.

We, as two journalists, accompanied SDF fighters for two days to keep up with their operations on two villages called Old and New Maqara.

While the SDF fighters told us that their operations at night are too risky for us to join, we had the chance to observe their operations during the day.

With the first daylight, we left the war coordination and hit the road to join the fighters that would go on an operation. Most of Deir ez-Zor is composed of desert and therefore we witnessed many sand storms. For a while, we continue our way within a cloud of dust.

When we reach the entrance to the village, one fighter says “you will drive the rest of the way in an armored vehicle, because there is a high risk of assassination”. After leading us into a panzer, the fighter turns back through the way he came from. After advancing a few more streets in the panzer, we reach the commanders of the operation.

Now the groups, who will actually fight ISIS, are coming as well. The more fighters come, the more excited we get and look like people, who are seeing war for the first time. They are coming from all directions. After a last check of their ammunition, they leave again into several directions.

After the groups take their positions, they begin to shoot ISIS’ first defense lines with DShK weaponry. After strikes that last for about an hour, the positioned fighters go into action, resulting in clashes with the gangs. The commanders coordinating the assault observe the groups from a hundred meters distance. Clashes intensify as hours pass and the fighters advance into the village.

Sound of the fighting gets even louder as the fighters reach the last line of the village towards the evening hours. The gang members get squeezed into the end of the village. Now we witness very heavy clashes between SDF fighters and ISIS gangs for about two hours.

SDF fighters communicate over radio that some ISIS members threw their weapons away and started to escape. As darkness falls, the entire village comes under SDF control. The SDF fighters close all ways into the village with dozers in order to prevent probable attacks, especially with bomb-laden vehicles, from ISIS gangs deployed in the neighboring village.