Syrian army breaks siege of oil-rich east

DAMASCUS (AFP) — Syrian troops broke the Islamic State group’s siege of Deir Ezzor military airport Saturday, dealing a fresh blow to the jihadists who also face a new offensive from U.S.-backed fighters elsewhere in the province.

Oil-rich Deir Ezzor province borders Iraq and is a strategic prize for both the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Russian-supported government troops.

Since 2014, IS has held swathes of the province and about 60 percent of its provincial capital, encircling two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir Ezzor city.

Government troops broke the siege of one of the pockets on Tuesday, and began a new assault on IS positions around the strategic airbase on Friday.

On Saturday, the troops ended IS’s encirclement of the airport, state news agency SANA said, “after forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase.”

State television quoted the unnamed head of the airbase as saying IS had fiercely attacked the airport for years. “We will continue fighting until we recapture all of Deir Ezzor city,” he said.

Russia, a key Syrian government ally, said its warplanes had provided cover to the Syrian ground forces, carrying out “massive air strikes” that helped the troops break the airport siege.