Syrian army, allies advance against Islamic State in central Syria

The Syrian army and allied forces have captured one of the last major Islamic State (IS) enclaves in the central Syrian desert, a monitor and a Hezbollah military media unit said on Saturday.

The pocket of territory totals about 2,000 square km, said the media unit run by Hezbollah, which fights alongside Syrian government forces in the war.

Earlier this week, the army and its allies encircled the IS militants after advancing southwards to join up with their forces near al-Sukhna town in Homs province. The enclave extends from the west of al-Sukhna into nearby Hama province.

Over the past year, IS has lost ground to various separate enemies including Syrian government forces with their allies, and US-backed militias.

The Syrian army - supported by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias - secured al-Sukhna this month. It was the last major town in Homs province that IS held.

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the army has seized dozens of hills and positions in that region in central Syria.

Now, the only significant IS presence remaining in Homs was another nearby enclave on the provincial border with Hama, also under siege by the army and its allies, the monitoring group said.