DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The Syrian Armed forces repelled the attack conducted by the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militant group in the vicinity of a besieged city of Deir ez-Zor in northeastern Syria, a military source told Sputnik on Saturday.
"The Syrian army repelled the attack conducted by [IS] militants in two directions — toward south and southwest of the city," the source said.
He added that Damascus' forces had also shelled terrorists with the use of artillery and aviation.
Syria has been mired in civil war since March 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, such as the Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United States. Deir ez-Zor has been surrounded by IS militants since 2014.
