Daesh (ISIS) continued attacks on a government-held air base in Syria's eastern Deir al-Zor on Thursday, killing 18 regime soldiers and incurring losses of 23 fighters, Reuters reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said President Bashar al-Assad's troops were holed up near the city as Daesh detonated at least two car bombs in the fighting. Deir al-Zor is one of the government's last strongholds in eastern Syria.
Assad's control is limited mostly to western Syria after four years of conflict. Syrian state TV on Wednesday said regime troops had left Abu al-Duhur air base in the Idlib province after rebels, including al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front, took over the area.
