ISIS said to capture part of strategic city of Deir ez-Zor from Syrian army

DEBKAfile's military sources said Sunday that ISIS captured the Sinaa neighborhood of the strategic city of Deir ez-Zor from the Syrian army this weekend. They added that Syrian soldiers who were caught by the ISIS forces were hanged in the city's central square.
The fighting over Deir az-Zor is considered the decisive battle for control of eastern Syria and the main roads leading to the Euphrates valley and from there to western Iraq. The Russian air force is making great efforts to stop ISIS in eastern Syria and prevent the collapse of the Syrian forces.