LONDON: Syria’s Defense Ministry has opened a temporary bridge over the Euphrates River to ease people’s movement and reconnect villages in eastern Deir Ezzor.

The Syrian army took control of the region from the Syrian Democratic Forces earlier this month.

Deir Ezzor Gov. Ghassan al-Sayyed Ahmad and Brig. Gen. Ahmad Mohammad al-Jassem, commander of the army’s 66th Division, supervised the opening of the bridge, which links Marat and al-Mari’iyah.

Bridges along the Euphrates in eastern Syrian Arab Republic are vital for connecting communities. During the civil war, many were destroyed by militias, forcing residents to rely on boats to cross the river.

Officials said the project was part of broader initiatives to restore infrastructure and improve living conditions in regions affected by years of conflict, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

On Monday, Syrian authorities reopened Al-Mansour Bridge in Raqqa after completing rehabilitation work. About 60 bridges were destroyed between 2014 and 2017, when the city was under the control of Daesh, which regarded it as its capital.