The Syrian army said Friday it had liberated from ISIS the long-contested eastern city of Deir al-Zor, one of the militant group's last remaining urban strongholds in Syria and Iraq. It is also the largest city the Syrian government has retaken from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It also comes as Iraqi forces and allied Shia militia personnel are chasing ISIS remnants inside the town of Qaim, on the Iraqi side of the border. The Iraqi forces are now pushing into western neighbourhoods of Qaim, the joint command said, and Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged the battle will be finished within days. Syrian army retakes town of Deir Al-Zor, from ISIS occupation1:13"Army units, in co-operation with allied forces, liberated the city of Deir al-Zour completely from the Daesh terrorist organization," the Syrian military statement said, using the Arabic name for ISIS.

Source: CBC News November 03, 2017 13:41 UTC