Surviving the siege: Islamic State on wane in Deir al-Zor

Cruel ‘caliphate’ of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on skids amid Syrian army and Kurdish squeeze

Tue, Oct 24, 2017, 01:00

Michael Jansen in Deir al-Zor

At an abandoned factory at Deir al-Zor, the army displays thousands of weapons captured from Islamic State here and in the town of Mayadin, to the south.

At an abandoned factory at Deir al-Zor, the army displays thousands of weapons captured from Islamic State here and in the town of Mayadin, to the south.

Deir al-Zor is at the end of the world. The journey is six hours by road from the city of Homs through its green belt of orchards and gardens narrowed by more than six years of war and enforced neglect.

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