South Front
Illustrative image.
On June 4, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed a Soviet-made PMP floating bridge in the northeastern governorate of Deir Ezzor.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights shared photos showing some of the bridge parts, which were sent from the capital, Damascus. The equipment were reportedly sent to Saker Island on Euphrates River, to the southeast of Deir Ezzor city.
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The PMP floating brigade was designed by the Soviet Union after World War II. The bridge’s design enables for a quick assembly of its parts. The bridge was originally mounted on a KrAZ-214, but later transferred to a KrAZ-255.
During the process of its deployment, a truck carrying the bridge is backed alongside the edge of a body of water. The bridge is then rolled off where it unfolds automatically. The bridge can span 382 meters with a load capacity 20 tons, or 227 m with load capacity 60 tons. A single PMP floating brigade could include up to 32 river pontoons, 12 bridging boats and four shore pontoons.
The SAA maintains complete control over the western bank of Euphrates in Deir Ezzor, and a pocket on the eastern bank, which is currently held by the United States-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
During the battles against ISIS in 2017, the SAA used the PMP floating brigade to cross the river and establish the pocket on the eastern bank.
The SAA likely deployed the floating brigade just to improve movement between the western and eastern banks of the Euphrates. However, the deployment came amid high tensions with the U.S.-led coalition which maintains two bases on the eastern bank of the river, one located in the Conoco gas and another within al-Omar oil fields.
According to a recent report by the Anadolu Agency, the coalition reinforced both bases with multiple rocket launchers earlier this month to deter the SAA and its allies, mainly forces backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who attacked Conco and al-Omar bases on several occasions this year.
Another report by The Washington Post revealed a plan by Iranian-backed forces to launch deadly attacks against the coalition in Deir Ezzor and other parts of northeastern Syria.
Despite all recent development, a full-blown military confrontation in northeastern Syria remains highly unlikely. Still, the two sides appear to be preparing for the worst.
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