Russian air strikes kill 34 civilians near Deir Ezzor city in Syria

Russian air strikes killed atleast 34 civilians near Deir Ezzor city in Syria on Sunday.

Earlier, the recapture of the military base by Syrian forces was seen as a fresh blow to the jihadists who also face a new offensive from US-backed fighters elsewhere in the province.

Oil-rich Deir Ezzor province borders Iraq and is a strategic prize for both the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Russian-supported government troops.

Since 2014, IS has held swathes of the province and about 60 per cent of its provincial capital, encircling two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir Ezzor city.

Government troops broke the siege of one of the pockets on Tuesday, and began a new assault on IS positions around the strategic airbase on Friday.

Today, the troops ended IS's encirclement of the airport, state news agency SANA said, "after forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase".

OneIndia News