DAMASCUS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Sunday captured the Tharda Mountains in the southern rim of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, securing the airbase of Deir al-Zour, a military source told Xinhua.
The capture of the Tharda Mountains has secured the vicinity of the airbase of Deir al-Zour, as the mountains function as the airbase's first defense line.
A day earlier, the Syrian army and allied troops broke the Islamic State (IS) siege on the airbase, just a week after lifting the IS' three-year siege on the capital city of Deir al-Zour.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the United States had bombed Syrian army in the Tharda Mountains in September 2016, which facilitated the IS control over it.
















