 On 22 May, it was reported that two protesters were killed by Syrian police in the presence of U.N observers, who immediately left the area.By this point, it was reported that many towns and villages were under rebel control in the Deir ez-Zor province.On 13 June, hundreds of Syrian Army troops, backed by tanks, stormed Deir ez-Zor in response to attacks by the Free Syrian Army in the previous week which destroyed several tanks and APCs and killed dozens of soldiers.