NNWN/ Beirut, 2017-10-29

Heavy clashes between Syrian army and dreaded Islamic State group in the oil rich province Deir Ezzor city continues. According to the Britain based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor,  atleast 73 fighters have been killed in the last 24 hours in the heavy clashes between Syria's army and the Islamic State group. Deir Ezzor city was once strong hold of IS and it had held large sections of Deir Ezzor city, and for nearly three years laid siege to other parts of it that remained under government control.
SOHR monitor on Sunday said that  Syria's army controls most of Deir Ezzor city, capital of Deir Ezzor province in the country's east, and made further advances after responding to an IS attack that began Saturday.  The monitor said the fierce fighting Saturday killed at least 50 IS fighters, as well as 23 Syrian soldiers and pro-regime militiamen. According to Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, government forces had captured two new neighbourhoods and the municipal stadium. "IS is now encircled in an area between the city and the (Euphrates) river," Abdel Rahman said. IS once held large sections of Deir Ezzor city, and for nearly three years laid siege to other parts of it that remained under government control.
In early September, advancing government forces broke the siege, and they have been working since to expel the jihadists from the rest of the city.
Abdel Rahman said the fighting that began Saturday was the fiercest in the city since government troops broke the siege, adding that clashes were continuing Sunday, with regime ally Russia carrying out heavy air strikes in support of the army and allied fighters. The jihadists have already been expelled from neighbouring Raqa province, and are now confined to just a few pockets of territory in Deir Ezzor.