At least four dozen people have been killed in clashes between Syrian government forces and Daesh in the central Homs Province, reports say.
The clashes, which broke out in the town of al-Sukhnah and its surroundings late on Tuesday, have so far claimed the lives of 28 government troops and 20 Daesh militants, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Wednesday.
The UK-based group said more than 100 people from both sides were also wounded in the fierce fighting.
The group, which opposes the Syrian government, also added that Daesh seized areas of al-Sukhnah and some nearby places in the ongoing fighting.
Homs is Syria's largest province and is also home to spectacular Greco-Roman ruins and the key Sha’ar gas and oil field, which is now back in government hands after Daesh overran it last year.
The city of Homs, the provincial capital, is almost completely under government control, but Daesh has a significant presence in some parts of the surrounding countryside and desert areas.
On Tuesday, Syria's air force targeted Daesh strongholds in Homs countryside, killing a number of terrorists and inuring many others. The army units also destroyed militant equipment and vehicles.
Earlier, units of the army killed and wounded scores of Daesh militants in separate operations to the northwest of the al-Sha’air oilfield as well as in Rahoum village.
Syria has been struggling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by militant groups has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people, according to reports.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says over 7.2 million people have also been internally displaced, while more than three million others have fled Syria due to the crisis in the Arab country.
Editor's note: This article has been edited from the source material
