(Zaman Al Wasl)- Fighting between Islamic State fighters and regiem forces continued for the third day near al-Shaer gas field east of Homs city, as the radical group's accounts reprted killing of 30 regime troops, sources said.
The clashes that erupted on Sunday to capture al-Shaer gas field began with a surprise attack by ISIS left 14 soldeirs.
The first battle of the Shaer gas field occurred in mid-July 2014 where ISIS took the field from regime forces and killed at least 270 soldiers. The battle had been followed by an Army counter-attack. It was one of the deadliest battles up-to-date in the war between ISIS and regime troops.
Pro-regime activists voiced fear that regime may lose the strategic field to favor of ISIS for the third time in two years
Also in eastern Homs, Brigadier General Qusai Abdul karim Ibrahim, one of the most notorious regime officers, was killed in an ISIS mortar fire targeted his checkpoint in the strategic Jazel gas field.
Meanwhile, the United States said on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities agreement to include Aleppo where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people, Reuters reported.
The State Department said the truce went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Damascus time on Wednesday, but acknowledged the fighting had not stopped.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was not surprised that fighting continued in some areas, adding both sides were working to communicate with commanders in the field.
Kerry, meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the State Department, said it was vital that both sides abide by the agreement. He called on Russia to use its influence over President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence.
The clashes that erupted on Sunday to capture al-Shaer gas field began with a surprise attack by ISIS left 14 soldeirs.
The first battle of the Shaer gas field occurred in mid-July 2014 where ISIS took the field from regime forces and killed at least 270 soldiers. The battle had been followed by an Army counter-attack. It was one of the deadliest battles up-to-date in the war between ISIS and regime troops.
Pro-regime activists voiced fear that regime may lose the strategic field to favor of ISIS for the third time in two years
Also in eastern Homs, Brigadier General Qusai Abdul karim Ibrahim, one of the most notorious regime officers, was killed in an ISIS mortar fire targeted his checkpoint in the strategic Jazel gas field.
Meanwhile, the United States said on Wednesday it had agreed with Russia to extend a cessation of hostilities agreement to include Aleppo where intense day-long violence between Syrian rebels and government forces killed dozens of people, Reuters reported.
The State Department said the truce went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Damascus time on Wednesday, but acknowledged the fighting had not stopped.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was not surprised that fighting continued in some areas, adding both sides were working to communicate with commanders in the field.
Kerry, meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the State Department, said it was vital that both sides abide by the agreement. He called on Russia to use its influence over President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence.
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