Syrian forces retake key oilfield in central Syria from IS

The Syrian government forces recaptured a key oilfield on Wednesday, a couple of days after the Islamic State (IS) militants stormed the facility, according to the state news agency SANA.

The Syrian forces retook the oil and gas fields of the al-Jazel in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs, after defeating the IS militants in that area and inflicting hefty losses on them, said SANA.

On Monday, the IS militants captured the al-Jazal oilfield, the last oilfield under the government control which produces around 2,500 barrels per day, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The oilfield has changed hands over the past few months, as the IS militants showed determination to capture it.

The government forces have already lost the oil and gas fields in Deir al-Zour, while Kurdish militants in northern Syria now control Rmailan oil field, the largest in the country.

Oil used to a pillar industry of Syria's economy until the crisis broke out more than three years ago. Oil export once accounted for 45 percent of Syria's total exports. As the crisis dragged on, production declined sharply. Endit