DAMASCUS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Many fighters of the Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Saturday when the Syrian troops foiled their attack against government-controlled areas in the province of Deir al-Zour, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.
The IS militants attempted to attack a number of government-controlled towns in the western countryside of Deir al-Zour, but they were foiled by the Syrian troops, said the TV, stopping short of giving a death toll of the killed IS fighters.
Meanwhile, the oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a group of IS infiltrated the government-controlled town of Baghliyeh in western Deir al-Zour through the Euphrates River, adding that the infiltrating group had eventually to withdraw amid reports of losses on both sides.
The Observatory said clashes raged between the warring sides in the vicinity of the town of Ayash in the western Deir al-Zour and near the Brigade 137 military base.
It said the Syrian air force carried out around ten airstrikes against IS in the aforementioned areas and the town of Sfaira.
The Syrian forces also pounded other areas in the western countryside of Deir al-Zour, while IS shelled the Syrian troops in the Brigade 137, according to the UK-based watchdog group.
Clashes also erupted Saturday near the town of Jafra, which is close to the contested airbase of Deir al-Zour. IS attempted to storm that facility repeatedly but has so far failed to break in.
Large swathes of Deir al-Zour have fallen to IS throughout last year and the terrorist group has recently intensified its attacks to strip the government troops of their remaining sway in that oil-rich province on the borders with Iraq.
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