TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Militant group kills 270 in Syrian battle
Militant group Islamic State killed 270 soldiers, guards and staff when they captured a Syrian gas field on Thursday in the bloodiest clash yet between the al-Qaeda offshoot and President Bashar al-Assadâs forces, a monitoring group said on Saturday
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
M
ilitant group Islamic State killed 270 soldiers, guards and staff when they captured a Syrian gas field on Thursday in the bloodiest clash yet between the al-Qaeda offshoot and President Bashar al-Assad's forces, a monitoring group said on Saturday.
The anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday that 90 people had been killed and that many were missing after the attack against the Sha'ar gas field east of Homs in central Syria.
But on Saturday, the Observatory, which monitors violence in Syria through a network of sources in the country on both sides, quoted 'trusted sources' as saying that the Islamic State had 'killed and executed' 270 people during the assault. It said at least 40 Islamic State fighters were killed in the offensive.
Islamic State has made rapid gains in Syria, mostly by seizing territory from rival rebel groups, using weaponry brought in from Iraq where last month it managed to take large areas from government forces.
It was not immediately possible to verify the Observatory's report. Syrian state media made no mention of the attack.
Activists say the Syrian air force has in recent weeks stepped up attacks on positions held by Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
