Syrian opposition takes over strategic city of Mayadin

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday that Syrian rebels took over the strategic city of Mayadin situated on the border with Iraq.       

The Observatory reported that after a 3-week siege, fighters stormed into the artillery battalion near the city in Deir El-Zour district and took over it. Opposition fighters confirmed that the Reef area along the Iraqi border and the Euphrates River up until Deir El Zour is now under their control.     

In this regard, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that the war in Syria has killed over 40,000 people in a span of 20 months.    

According to the British based Observatory, the numbers it is publishing include civilians, soldiers and opposition fighters but does not include those missing.   

In contrast, military operations continued in many districts and were centered in Damascus Reef.     

The Syrian state TV stressed that the army is still “cleaning” the area of Daraya and the rest of Damascus Reef from terrorists.   

 
Stances      

In international positions, Russia advised Turkey not to deploy Patriot missiles along its borders with Syria."This would ... not foster stability in the region," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.     

For his part, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that Paris supports the deployment of Patriot missiles along the Turkish-Syrian border, adding “there is no reason to reject Turkey's request.”