Syrians walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, on February 27, 2017. (AFP photo)

DAMASCUS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) group brought in at least 300 Iraqi and Syrian families from areas under its control in Iraq and Syria to the eastern province of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria, a monitor group reported Tuesday.

The families were split between Iraqis coming from Iraq's city of Mosul and Syrians comping from Syria's northern city of al-Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The IS militants put the new displaced families in schools in the city of al-Mayadeen in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, said the Observatory, adding that more families are expected to come.

The new comers are being relocated as a result of the intense battles fought against IS, whether in Mosul, by the Iraqi forces, or in al-Raqqa, where the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were making progress in the countryside of that province.

Meanwhile, the UK-based watchdog monitor group said intense battles were raging between the Syrian army and the IS in the countryside of Deir al-Zour amid airstrikes carried out by the Syrian forces on IS positions.