International Coalition denies evacuating ISIS militants

The U.S. Coalition allegedly airdropped troops over the Deir Ezzor countryside on Tuesday to arrest high-ranking Islamic State (ISIL) officials, Al-Dorar Al-Shamia reported. “The international coalition forces against the “Islamic State” organization (IS) on Tuesday carried out two airdrops on two sites in the eastern Deir al-Zour countryside, and arrested a number of elements of the organization with their families,” Al-Dorar Al-Shamia claimed.

The report was first released by the Al-Furat Post, who claimed that the U.S. Coalition conducted the operation inside the Kabba Mulla area near the town of Al-Bolil in eastern Deir Ezzor. According to the report by the Al-Furat Post, the U.S. Coalition arrested the Islamic State’s Emir of Finance to the Al-Tayyem Oil Fields in western Deir Ezzor.

A second airdrop was conducted near the large city of Al-Mayadeen; this operation resulted in the arrest of eight members of the Islamic State’s “Islamic police” – all were of foreign, the Al-Furat Post claimed. The U.S. Coalition’s official spokesperson has not commented on this alleged operation.

On the political side, United Nations' special enjoy to Syria says oppositional forces must be prepared to face the reality that they did not win the six-and-a-half year war against President Bashar al-Assad. Staffan de Mistura suggested the war was now almost over since critical territories had been lostand numerous countries — such as the United States and Russia — had gotten involved in the conflict via various proxy wars.

"For the opposition, the message is very clear: if they were planning to win the war, facts are proving that is not the case. So now it's time to win the peace," he told reporters. Mr de Mistura said a national ceasefire should follow soon after Raqqa and Deir Ezzor were "liberated" which he anticipated to happen within weeks — he added that the rebel strong-hold of Idlib could then be "frozen".

Asked if he was implying that Mr Assad had won, he said pro-Government forces had advanced militarily, but nobody could actually claim to have won the war. "Victory can only be if there is a sustainable political long-term solution," he said.

"Otherwise instead of war, God forbid, we may see plenty of low intensity guerrilla [conflicts] going on for the next 10 years, and you will see no reconstruction, which is a very sad outcome of winning a war. Mr de Mistura plans to join ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital Astana next week, which he said should help resolve the fate of Idlib, a city of 2 million where rebels designated as terrorists by the United Nations are gaining influence.

"I am confident … there will be a non-conflictual solution — let's say not a new Aleppo, that's what we want to avoid at any cost, if we have learned from the past," he said, referring to the greatest battle and humanitarian crisis of the war.

"If that takes place Idlib may become frozen in a way in order to avoid becoming a major tragic end to the conflict." Meanwhile, Islamic State is facing imminent defeat in its two main zones of influence: it's de-factor Syrian capital of Raqqa and around the city of Deir Ezzor.

"The fact is that Deir al-Zor is almost liberated, in fact it is as far as we are concerned liberated, it's a matter now of a few hours," Mr de Mistura said. He added that Raqqa's fall would follow within days or weeks, leading to the "moment of truth" for a round of negotiations in October