(Zaman Al Wasl)- Since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, Bashar al-Assad’s regime has worked on suppressing it by all means of killing and destruction.
Assad's destructive campaigns, as well as the Americans and the Russians, including dozens of bridges linking the banks of the Euphrates River in the northeast of Syria. American and Russian air forces managed to destroy the remaining bridges and crossings, leaving only those bridges built on large dams such as the Euphrates Dam, Tishreen and others.
Perhaps the common and hidden objective of all this deliberate destruction of these bridges is to separate this part of the Jazira region and cutting it off from the rest of Syria on the opposite bank of the river.
26 Euphrates Bridges
There are 26 main bridges distributed along the course of the Euphrates River from the town of Jarablus in the north, to the town of Albukamal in the south.
The present report will present the bridges that were built on the main riverbed and which were destroyed by the regime forces and the US and Russian forces. Of the 26 bridges, 21 bridges were destroyed, the remaining 5 were either built on large dams, such as Euphrates, Tishreen, and Baath, or those that were under the control of Assad's forces, such as Al-Mashfa and Al-Joura bridges in Deir Ezzor.
We will present these bridges arranged according to their positions from the north to the south, in order to reveal the limited movement of regime forces during its transit to the opposite bank, being left only with the bridges built on the three dams, especially after sabotage the Russian orphan bridge south of Deir Ezzor.
Jarablus Bridge: the first bridge on the Euphrates River from the north, used to stand between the towns of Jarablus and Zour Maghar, and was shelled by regime planes on September 25, 2012.
Karakozak Bridge: the regime shelled this bridge several times before coalition forces destroyed a large part of it in 2016. After Kurdish units took over the city of Manbij, they repaired the damaged part and are currently using it.
Tishreen Dam Bridge: still usable, controlled by Kurdish units; these days, the regime is crossing it during its entry along with the YPG.
Euphrates Dam Bridge: It is still usable, controlled by Kurdish units.
Al-Rasheed Bridge (New Raqqa): It is one of the two bridges located in Raqqa. It was bombed by the regime in 2014 and then destroyed by coalition aircraft in 2017.
Mansour Bridge: the second bridge in Raqqa, was targeted by regime forces in 2015, and then destroyed by the coalition in 2017. It dates back to 1942.
The SDF, with the help of the Americans, initially restored and rehabilitated it in March 2019, so that it could reach the other West Bank.
Mughla East Bridge: was subjected to numerous artillery shells and aerial bombardments by regime forces before it was completely destroyed by coalition aircraft in February 2017.
Halabiya Bridge: located about 80 km from Deir Ezzour towards Raqqa.
Bridges of Deir Ezzor
Deir ez-Zor was called the city of bridges because of its many bridges along the Euphrates River. There are 10 bridges erected on the Euphrates and its branches, including two pedestrians and eight others for traffic and cars. Most of the city's bridges were destroyed or unusable.
The regime destroyed eight of them, completely destroying the suspension bridge, built by the French in the 1920s, which was considered an architectural masterpiece.
Al-Mashfa Bridge: connects Al-Qalb Hospital and Deir Ezzor city through a branch of the river. It remained safe because it was under the control of the regime forces.
Joura Bridge: Located on the small branch and built in the 1970s, it remained undamaged under the control of regime forces.
Iman Hajo Bridge: a pedestrian bridge named after the martyr Iman Hajo.
Al-Hurriyah Bridge: It was rehabilitated more than once by rebels. It connects the old neighborhoods of Deir with the villas in Al-Huwaiqa area.
Al-Ayour Bridge: the main road between Deir ez-Zor governorate center and the suspension bridge through al-Huwaiqa.
Mohammed Al-Durra Bridge: A pedestrian zone located in Al-Huwaiqa neighborhood, has been destroyed as a result of repeated shelling by regime forces since October 2012.
Kanamat Bridge: Located on the small branch of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor, built in the 1960s, and is the third largest bridges in Deir Ezzor, bombed and destroyed by the regime, to disrupt its use by Free Army fighters since the end of 2012.
Suspension Bridge: dates back to the 1920s, was constructed by the French during their occupation of Syria. The regime destroyed it in early May 2013.
Al-Siassiyah Bridge: named after the Political Security Branch that overlooks it. A group belonging to the regime completed its bombing and destruction on 15/09/2014.
Al-Anafat Bridge: located at the entrance of Deir Ezzor from the direction of Hawija Sakr, because of its strategic importance, it was bombed with various types of heavy weapons until it was destroyed by the regime's airstrikes in late 2015.
Al-Mayadeen Bridge: connects between Mayadeen city west of the Euphrates and the town Theban east, and is one of the largest bridges in Deir Ezzor, destroyed by coalition raids on 26/09/2016.
Al-Asharah Bridge: built in the 1970s in the form of a military bridge, was rehabilitated in the last decade using reinforced concrete, but was destroyed by coalition aircraft on 28/09/2016.
Al-Baqaan Bridge: It comes after the Abu Kamal bridge in terms of its importance, as it connects Jazira region with Shamiyah. Coalition planes destroyed on 07/03/ 2017.
Salhiyah or Abu Kamal Bridge: the last bridge in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
Al-Sowaiya Bridge: connects Al-Sowaiya area with Al-Toubia neighborhood in Abu Kamal city. It was destroyeb during coalition shelling against IS on 01/08/2015.
Zaman Al Wasl- Fathi Bayoud
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