Syrian army takes last IS-held town in Homs, monitor

BEIRUT - 5 August 2017: Syrian government and allied forces have taken the last major town in Homs province from Islamic State, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday, as the army advances toward militant strongholds in the east of the country.

The town of al-Sukhna lies northeast of the government-controlled ancient city of Palmyra.

It is some 50 km (30 miles) from the administrative frontier of Deir al-Zor province which is almost entirely under Islamic State control.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Saturday that the army had encircled al-Sukhna.