ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Syrian authorities have launched evacuation operations in parts of Deir ez-Zor province after flooding of the Euphrates River, with the defense ministry on Friday mobilizing military units to assist emergency response efforts.
The ministry said it had “mobilized multiple military formations and departments to support response efforts in Deir ez-Zor following the sharp rise in water levels of the Euphrates River.”
It added that military personnel were carrying out “evacuation operations and the removal of embankments in several villages and areas affected by the flooding.”
The ministry said available military assets were being deployed to the province to support local authorities and other government agencies responding to the crisis.
Syria's defense ministry announced Friday that the military is carrying out evacuation operations in Deir ez-Zor amid widespread flooding, with Turkey's release of water spillover from the Ataturk Dam having led to devastating effects downstream of the Euphrates River pic.twitter.com/Q5y6lihc0m
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Syrian Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said Friday the Euphrates River remains within its natural course and that no new flooding had been recorded, despite continued impacts from rising water levels in parts of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
Saleh said around 2,400 families had been affected, with damage limited to property losses and no new casualties reported.
He added that President Ahmed al-Sharaa was closely monitoring the situation and had directed authorities to take urgent measures to support affected residents.
The minister said several government agencies would meet in Deir ez-Zor on Friday to coordinate emergency relief efforts and discuss longer-term solutions to address the crisis.
He also called for solidarity with the province's residents, saying the people of Deir ez-Zor had “always stood alongside Syrians in times of hardship.”
Turkish authorities this week opened the spillway gates of the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates River for the first time in seven years after heavy rainfall brought the reservoir close to full capacity.
The move sent large volumes of water downstream into Syria, prompting concerns over rising river levels in several provinces.
Syrian state media reported on Thursday that at least 50 of 210 water stations along the Euphrates had been flooded and taken out of service.
Authorities also established a joint operations room in Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor to monitor the situation, while officials said no casualties had been reported despite the disruption to infrastructure and services.