<div align="justify">Syrian troops today broke the Islamic State group's siege of the eastern Deir ez-Zor military airport, state media reported, days after ending another siege on residential districts of the city.<br /><br />State news agency SANA said the breach came "after the forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase".<br /><br />The troops had launched a new push today towards the besieged military airport, as part of its multi-pronged offensive to retake the whole eastern city from the jihadists.<br /><br />Since 2014, IS has held swathes of Deir ez-Zor province, which borders Iraq, and about 60 per cent of the provincial capital.<br /><br />Jihadists had encircled two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir ez-Zor city, and the army on Tuesday broke through one of the besieged pockets.<br /><br />The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed troops had breached the siege.<br />"By breaking the siege on the military airport regime forces have been able to link up all the neighbourhoods they hold in western parts of Deir ez-Zor city," the Britain-based monitor said. <br /></div>
<div align="justify">Syrian troops today broke the Islamic State group's siege of the eastern Deir ez-Zor military airport, state media reported, days after ending another siege on residential districts of the city.<br /><br />State news agency SANA said the breach came "after the forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase".<br /><br />The troops had launched a new push today towards the besieged military airport, as part of its multi-pronged offensive to retake the whole eastern city from the jihadists.<br /><br />Since 2014, IS has held swathes of Deir ez-Zor province, which borders Iraq, and about 60 per cent of the provincial capital.<br /><br />Jihadists had encircled two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir ez-Zor city, and the army on Tuesday broke through one of the besieged pockets.<br /><br />The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed troops had breached the siege.<br />"By breaking the siege on the military airport regime forces have been able to link up all the neighbourhoods they hold in western parts of Deir ez-Zor city," the Britain-based monitor said. <br /></div>