35 regime soldiers killed in ISIS attack

At least 35 Syrian soldiers and pro-regime militiamen were killed Saturday in a multi-front attack by the Islamic State group on the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said.

The fighting came as regime forces battled ISIS in the northern province of Aleppo, repelling a jihadist assault and killing at least 16 fighters from the group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS had advanced into the northern tip of Deir Ezzor city, in eastern Syria, and captured the suburb of Al-Baghaliyeh.

The advance puts ISIS in control of around 60 percent of the city, with the regime holding the rest, according to the Britain-based monitor.

Syrian state news agency SANA said regime troops had repelled an ISIS attack on the area around Al-Baghaliyeh and inflicted “heavy losses” on the group. Deir Ezzor is the capital of Deir Ezzor province, an oil-rich region that borders Iraq and is mostly held by ISIS.

The regime has clung onto portions of the provincial capital and the adjacent military airport despite repeated ISIS attacks.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said heavy fighting was continuing on Saturday afternoon after the ISIS assault, which began with a suicide car bomb blast carried out by a member of the jihadist group. Eight of the regime forces killed were shot dead by ISIS jihadists.

The monitor said Russian warplanes were carrying out heavy airstrikes in support of regime forces as they sought to repel the jihadists.