DAMASCUS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces are only 50 km away from breaking the Islamic State (IS) siege in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, a well-informed source told Xinhua on Monday.
"Only 50 km are left for the advancing Syrian forces to break the siege and meet with the besieged soldiers inside Deir al-Zour," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The progress follows the advance of Syrian forces against IS in the eastern countryside of Raqqa province, the de facto capital of IS in northern Syria, and in the eastern countryside of Homs province in central Syria.
The Syrian army has been on a crushing offensive against IS in the Syrian desert and in the countryside of Raqqa.
IS has lost the large swathes of its terrain in the desert, with the Syrian army's ultimate aim to break the IS siege on Deir al-Zour and clear the desert of the extremist group.
