Local Editor

Syria's army and its allies advanced towards their enclave in Deir ez-Zor, besieged by the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] forces Sunday, taking al-Kharata oil field, a war monitor reported.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had focused this year on the campaign in Syria's desert, striking eastwards in a multi-pronged assault against Daesh to restore Deir ez-Zor, where the government pocket has been surrounded for years.

Sunday's advance brings the army and its allies to about 10km from the city, said the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which is based in the UK.

On Saturday, a military media unit reported that the army had captured Jebel al-Bashri to the west of Deir ez-Zor, meaning it was less than 30 km from the city.

A Syrian military source said Saturday the army had also advanced eastwards from Sukhna, on the main road between Damascus and Deir ez-Zor, along a parallel route of attack.

Pro-government forces are also fighting to eradicate a large Daesh enclave they left to their rear in central Syria as they advanced towards Deir ez-Zor.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team