The ISIS Siege of Deir ez-Zor (2014–2017)

 Deir Ezzor city and Airbase was put under complete siege by ISIS beginning in July of 2014. The defenders of the city and its airbase were the National Defense Forces, local tribes loyal to the Syrian army and the Syrian army's 104th Brigade of the Republican Guard led by general Issam Zahreddine.

2014 began what would be a brutal years long siege and battle between the Syrian army and ISIS in and around Deir Ezzor. 

September, an ISIS T-55 fires on the Syrian army.

October, a map of the battle.

December. Intense battles rage.

An ISIS D-30 fires on Deir Ezzor.

SAA soldiers.

ISIS corpses killed in battle.

The situation on the ground in December.

---2015---

March, ISIS copses.

May, corpses.

ISIS KPV and SPG-9 near Deir Ezzor.

September, ISIS corpses.

An L-39 in the aircraft shelter.

More ISIS corpses.

October, General Issam Zahreddine and the 104th brigade armed with AK-74M.

A MiG-21.

November, an ISIS VBIED detonates near the airbase.

December. USAF "accidentally" strike al-sina district under SAA control.

--2016--

January, an ISIS corpse.

ISIS capture a T-55MV.

March, NDF with ISIS corpses.

May, more ISIS corpses.

Failed ISIS attack on al-Assad hospital in Deir Ezzor city.

June, SAA retreat from Mt. Thardah after a USAF airstrike.

July, A Syrian MiG-23 pilot that was downed is strung up in ISIS-controlled East Deir Ezzor.

August, Zahreddine and his men.

October, ISIS uses a USA supplied TOW missile to target Deir Ezzor.

November, Syrian army uses a Milan ATGM.

December, ISIS continue trying to break into Deir Ezzor.

--2017--

January

Two L-39 jets destroyed by ISIS ATGMs.

A Syrian soldier with a Mosin Nagant rifle. Back at home in Stalingrad.

March, ISIS targets the airbase with an ATGM.

May, ISIS fires an SPG-9.

June, Syrian soldier in a sandstorm.

Issam Zahreddine in the sandstorm.

September.

ISIS ATGM misses an SAA T-72 approaching the city.

Kids in Deir Ezzor celebrate the breaking of the siege.

The siege is broken.

The final map of Deir Ezzor.

Extremist TOW Missile Use

  The BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile system was provided to "moderate" Syrian opposition groups beginning in 2014 by the CIA. The TOW accounted for hundreds of destroyed and damaged Syrian Army vehicles and was a major factor for opposition territorial gains in 2015.

Not all of these missile systems stayed with their designated groups. Many fell into al-Qaeda and ISIS hands throughout the duration of their deliveries to Syria. This was known to the CIA and US government, but they continued pumping TOWs into the Syrian battlefield.

Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria's al-Qaeda branch, firing TOW missiles in Idlib in 2015.

Jabhat al-Nusra attempted to rebrand itself twice, its current name being Hyat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. Pictured is HTS using the TOW in 2019 and 2020.

In mid-2015 ISIS captured the city of Palmyra from the Syrian Army. Syrian army lines were crumbling across Syria due to extensive TOW ATGM use by many factions, ISIS included. Here ISIS is seen lining up their TOW launchers.

ISIS firing a TOW at a Syrian army position in then besieged Deir Ezzor city.

In 2016 the Syrian army advanced East of the city of Aleppo to break the siege of Kweres airbase from ISIS. During this campaign ISIS used TOW missiles extensively against Syrian army targets.

On top of direct use by extremist groups, the TOW saw extensive use alongside them at the hands of the so-called "moderate opposition."