“Several dozen” former fighters, including at least four Saudi Arabian extremists, had already crossed the Turkish border into areas in southern Turkey in recent weeks, the Guardian said. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the two countries during an official visit to Tehran by Syria’s electricity minister. Last January, Iran and Syria signed five major economic contracts, including a license for Tehran to become a mobile phone service operator in Syria and phosphate mining contracts. “The liberation of (Deir Ezzor) city is proceeding,” Lapin said. “Syrian troops are finalizing the defeat of the ISIL [ISIS] group blocking the northern and southern districts of Deir Ezzor,” he said.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 13, 2017 10:52 UTC