Syria12 July, 20263 min read
Syrian Ministry of Defense Builds Floating Military Bridge With Turkish Army in Deir Ezzor
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Syrian MoD announced start of a floating Euphrates bridge in Deir Ezzor, with Turkish army. Satellite imagery showed completion of the floating bridge, linking Euphrates banks and aiding civilian movement.
Bridge links Euphrates banks
Syrian Ministry of Defense announced the start of works to construct a floating military bridge over the Euphrates River in Deir al-Zor, eastern Syria, in cooperation with the Turkish army, aiming to reconnect the river banks and facilitate civilian movement. The bridge is being built near the 'Political Crossing' with a length of about 280 meters and a load capacity of 70 tons, while the Syrian Defense Minister thanked the Turkish Ministry of Defense represented by His Excellency Minister Yashar Guler for assistance. SANA said Deir Ezzor Deputy Governor Badri Al-Masloukh conducted an inspection tour on Wednesday covering the war/military bridge implemented by the Military Engineering Directorate, the floating military bridge implemented by the Military Engineering Directorate and the Turkish Army, and the Siyasa Bridge whose rehabilitation is being carried out by the Building and Construction Foundation.
Yahya Al-Ali, a member of the Executive Office for Housing, Services and Facilities, told SANA that rehabilitation work was being assessed after it was damaged by rising water levels of the Euphrates, and he expected the earthen bridge rehabilitation and works on the military bridge underway on it to be completed within a week. The Al-Jazeera Net report said satellite imagery showed the completion of the deployment of an afloat military bridge built by the Syrian Ministry of Defense in cooperation with its Turkish counterpart, with images taken between July 7 and 9 showing the bridge completed near the Al-Siyasa Bridge.
Officials cite safety and access
Syrian Ministry of Defense said the floating military bridge construction comes in parallel with the completion of another bridge to connect the banks of the Euphrates in cooperation with the Deir al-Zor Governorate, while the Syrian Minister of Defense used his X account to thank His Excellency Minister Yashar Guler. In the same account, the Syrian Minister of Defense said the bridge’s construction comes “to ease the burden on our people in the province, and to confirm that the army, as it performed its duty on the battlefields, is also present to contribute to reconstruction efforts.” Yahya Al-Ali told the Syria Now correspondent that work began as soon as water levels in the Euphrates stabilized and that completion is expected within a few days, with traffic available immediately thereafter.
SANA reported that the field tour included the floating military bridge and the Siyasa Bridge, and it said the rehabilitation of the Siyasa Bridge was proceeding at a good pace and within specified timelines. The Al-Jazeera Net report said the establishment of the military bridge aimed to secure a land corridor linking Deir ez-Zor city with its eastern bank and villages, and it said fixed land bridges in the provincial center were out of service with only the Al-Asharah Bridge about 60 kilometers away and the Al-Baghuz Bridge about 120 kilometers away remaining in service.
Drowning risks and ongoing works
The Al-Jazeera Net report said the step aims to provide a safe overland alternative for thousands of civilians who currently rely on river ferries to move between the banks of the Euphrates, a means that has led to repeated drowning incidents. It added that the most recent drowning incident was the drowning of a young man with his vehicle at the Ayash crossing in the western countryside of the city, and it linked the bridge effort to easing suffering after fixed land bridges were out of service. The Al-Jazeera Net report said the Al-Siyasa Bridge lies about 200 meters from the military bridge, and it said works are expected to continue until June 2027, according to the Syrian News Agency (SANA).
It also described the Al-Siyasa Bridge as one of the most prominent bridges linking the banks of the Euphrates in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, saying its dereliction from service caused significant difficulties in movement and in transporting goods and services between the city and its surroundings. Orient XXI framed the broader context of negotiations and mobilization around the autonomous Kurdish region, describing how the floating bridge linking the two banks of the Tigris River from Iraqi Kurdistan is used for trucks, fuel tankers, and people entering and exiting the autonomous Kurdish region of Syria.