DAMASCUS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed when the Islamic State (IS) group attacked a village in the central province of Hama on Thursday morning, state news agency SANA reported.
The IS militants attacked the village of Akairbat in the countryside of Hama earlier on Thursday, prompting the Syrian forces to respond to the attack which was focused on the center of the village, said the report.
The village is located near the city of Salamiyeh, which witnessed several infiltration attempts by IS.
SANA said the army foiled the attack on Thursday.
The pro-government Sham FM radio placed the death toll of the attack on Akairbat at 30.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian warplanes struck IS positions in central Syria, following the attack.
