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Syrian army recaptures IS-held hospital in Deir al-Zour

Xinhua, May 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Syrian army recaptured a hospital that fell earlier on Saturday to the Islamic State (IS) group in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a military source told Xinhua.

The army has also freed doctors and nurses, who were taken hostage by the terror-labeled group inside the Assad Hospital, said the source on condition of anonymity.

All of the IS militants, who stormed the hospital at the outskirts of Deir al-Zour, were killed by the army, added the source.

Intense battles raged on Saturday morning between the Syrian army and the IS militants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog said 26 Syrian soldiers were killed when the IS militants infiltrated the areas southwest of Deir al-Zour, after which the militants captured the Assad hospital.

Following the IS capture of the hospital, the Syrian army besieged the facility to flush the IS out.

The military source said that Syrian warplanes had struck the IS positions in the vicinity of the Deir al-Zour airbase, which has also been a target of the recent IS attacks. Endit