The US-backed campaign in northern Syria aims to drive Islamic State away from its last foothold at the border with Turkey. "Dozens of air strikes repelled (Islamic State forces)," Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said. The United States has ruled out cooperating with Damascus in the war against Islamic State. Syrian militias backed by US-led air strikes have repelled a second Islamic State counter attack in 24 hours near a city being targeted in a major offensive against the jihadist group, an official and a monitoring group said on Monday. Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, are waging a separate campaign against the jihadists in the same area.

Source: The Star July 04, 2016 10:07 UTC