ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Islamic State (ISIS) militants claimed they shot down a Syrian warplane over the country’s eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a day after US bombing in the same area reportedly killed dozens of Syrian regime soldiers. “A Syrian warplane belonging to the Syrian regime was brought down when targeted by fighters from the Islamic in the city of Deir al-Zor (Deir Ezzor),” claimed Amaq, a news agency tied to ISIS, on Sunday, according to Reuters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor confirmed that the pilot was killed. The incident comes a day after US-led coalition warplanes reportedly killed scores of Syrian soldiers in an incident which reportedly enabled ISIS to advance in the same area (al-Tharda) at the regime’s expense. The Syrian Observatory reported that Russian warplanes then killed at least 20 ISIS militants in airstrikes which enabled the Syrian soldiers to retake those positions later on Saturday. Syrian soldiers have fought off ISIS attempts to take over Deir Ezzor city for two years now. ISIS dominates most of that province but has been unable to completely overrun its provincial capital, given the dug-in Syrian troop presence there.
