Deir el-Zour, which had been divided into a government-held and an IS-held part for nearly three years, is the largest city in eastern Syria and the capital of the province with the same name. It also comes as Iraqi forces and allied Shiite militiamen are chasing IS remnants inside the town of Qaim, on the Iraqi side of the border. The Islamic State’s last territorial stronghold in Iraq was the town of Qaim, across the border from the Syrian town of Boukamal. 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. A Russian Tu-22MZ bomber hits militant positions outside the town of Al Bukamal on the border with Iraq in the eastern Deir el-Zour province.

Source: National Post November 03, 2017 08:05 UTC