国际英语资讯:Syrian army close to lay large siege on IS in desert area_时事

国际英语资讯:Syrian army close to lay large siege on IS in desert area

In the south, near the capital Damascus, the Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah group are fighting another battle against IS to clear the western Qalamoun region near Lebanon from the terror-designated group.

The source told Xinhua that the army and Hezbollah have captured key hilltops and heights, which will make it easy for the advancing troops to clear that area from IS, just a couple of weeks after the military forces and the Lebanese Shiite group defeated the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the Qalamoun region.

Meanwhile, local media reported the falling of civilian victims as a result of the U.S.-led airstrikes on IS-held areas in the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the terror-labeled group.

At least 40 civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours by U.S.-led airstrikes on a building in Raqqa city, activists said, adding that all of the bodies are still under the rubble.

In Hasakah, at least 20 civilians were killed a day earlier when U.S.-led airstrikes heavily pounded areas in the eastern countryside of Hasakah, namely in the town of Jasa', activists said.

The U.S. airstrikes have escalated recently with the U.S.-led coalition backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are advancing against IS inside the city of Raqqa.

The SDF said Monday that their fighters killed 50 IS militants in an area between Raqqa and Deir al-Zour.

The group posted a video footage, purporting to show large quantities of U.S. weapons and munition bound to SDF to support them in their battles of Raqqa.