Syrian forces recapture Daesh's last stronghold in Homs

Syrian government forces retook control of Daesh's last bastion in the central province of Homs late Saturday in the latest setback to the extremist militia, a monitoring group and military sources have said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the recapture of the strategically important town of Al-Sukhna in Homs followed intense bombardment by regime and allied Russian warplanes, according to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, DPA, web-site.

Retaking Al-Sukhna allows government forces to advance on the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, which is mostly controlled by Daesh militants, it said.

Government forces entered the town of al-Sukha following fierce clashes with Daesh gunmen of whom hundreds were forced to flee towards Deir al-Zour, a pro-government military commander said. He told DPA on condition of anonymity that explosives experts were clearing the town from mines laid by hardline jihadists, without revealing casualty figures.

Al-Sukhna is located 70 kilometres east of the ancient town of Palmyra, which Syrian forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, retook from Daesh in March.

The radical group has suffered military setbacks in recent months and lost ground in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, added DPA.