Videos confirm rebel presence at Deir al-Zour, north-east Syria
By Paul Brown
BBC Verify has analysed two videos from Deir al-Zour showing rebel fighters taking control of key sites in the city following the reported withdrawal of Kurdish-led SDF forces from the city.
The city, in Syria's north-east, has been somewhat separated from the rapid rebel advance from Idlib to Damascus. Last week, Reuters quoted security sources saying that the Kurdish-led SDF had taken control of Deir al-Zour city following the withdrawal of regime forces.
Now control appears to have shifted again – this time to the rebels.
In one clip released late yesterday, rebel forces are seen at the government office in the centre of the city. Here, the location was confirmed thanks to the building's distinctive architecture which is visible on publicly available imagery.
Another clip, published overnight by rebel-affiliated media shows a drive through the grounds of the Deir al-Zour airport. The footage is dark and grainy, but there is sufficient detail to confirm the location, by matching visible, but features to satellite imagery.
These videos confirm rebel presence at either end of the city, 10km (6.2 miles) apart.
Image source ,Al-Askari Media