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Syrian troops kill 9 IS fighters in Deir al-Zour

Xinhua, January 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least nine fighters of the Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Monday during clashes with the Syrian government troops in the country's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a monitoring group reported.

A Moroccan fighter was among those killed during clashes with the Syrian troops in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour airbase, amid a progress the Syrian troops have achieved in the al-Mazareh area in that key province on the borders with Iraq, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA said the Syrian troops dealt "hefty blows" to the fortifications of the IS in the towns of Mu-Hasan and the villages of Bulail and Tabya Shamia in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour.

The troops also carried out operations against the IS fighters in a number of northwestern towns of Deir al-Zour, killing undisclosed number of them, according to SANA.

Large swathes of Deir al-Zour have fallen to IS throughout last year and the terrorist group has recently intensified its attacks to strip the government troops of their remaining sway in that oil-rich province on the borders with Iraq. Endit