DAMASCUS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters fully captured the eastern city of al-Bukamal, the last Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Syria, on Sunday, state news agency SANA reported.
The Syrian forces are mopping up the city to dismantle the explosives left by IS in al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, according to the report.
On Nov. 9, the Syrian forces declared capturing al-Bukamal from IS, but on Nov. 11, the IS launched a counter-offensive clawing back the city, their last stronghold in Syria near the Iraqi border.
The counter-offensive of IS prompted the Syrian army to launch another offensive to take back the city with the help of Iranian-backed fighters and Russian aerial bombing.
A day earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers struck the IS positions in al-Bukamal, destroying weaponry and killing militants of the terror-designated group.
Special monitoring equipment confirmed that all of the designated targets were hit, the ministry said, adding that the Tu-22M3 bombers were escorted by Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters from the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia to hit their target.
Al-Bukamal is very important for IS due to its proximity to IS-held areas on the Iraqi side of the border, which have recently been stormed by the Iraqi army and allied troops.
After losing it, the IS militants have lost all of their strongholds in Syria, maintaining just a few pockets in northeastern and southern Syria.
Last month, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured the northern city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS.
This month, the Syrian army captured the capital city of Deir al-Zour.
