ISIS regains ground in eastern Syria

BEIRUT — The Islamic State killed at least 40 U.S.backed Syrian fighters, captured several alive and regained areas lost earlier this month in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, a war monitor and an agency linked to the militant group said Saturday.

Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have been on the offensive since early September under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, trying to capture the last pocket held by the Islamic State in Syria.

Friday’s fighting, which lasted until the early hours of Saturday, began when the Islamic State, taking advantage of a sandstorm, launched a counteroffensive against Syrian Democratic Forces positions east of the Euphrates river in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, activists said.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the Islamic State had killed more than 60 Syrian Democratic Forces fighters, wounded others and captured at least 20 since Friday.

The Observatory and the Deir Ezzor 24 activist collective said Islamic State fighters captured the village of Sousa, which they had lost control of last week.

The Islamic State-linked Aamaq news agency said more than 40 Syrian Democratic Forces fighters were killed. The news agency posted a video of six gunmen captured alive.