Syria's army sends huge reinforcement to the city

Syria's army sent massive reinforcements to territory under its control in Deir Ezzor yesterday ahead of a final push for the Islamic State group-held half of the eastern city.

The metropolis is the capital of the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor, regarded as a strategic prize by both Russian-backed Syrian troops and US-backed fighters.

Regime forces have scored major advances in recent days, breaking a pair of IS sieges on the city and capturing territory around it.

They were now looking to make a push into the eastern IS-held part of the city, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

"Huge military reinforcements, including equipment, vehicles and fighters have arrived in Deir Ezzor ahead of an attack to push Daesh from the city's eastern neighbourhoods," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"Russian and Syrian regime warplanes are striking IS positions in the city and its outskirts," he added.

Since 2014, IS has controlled most of Deir Ezzor city and the surrounding province, which borders territory the jihadists hold in Iraq.

The remaining 40 percent of the city still held by the government -- and home to around 100,000 civilians -- was under crippling IS siege.

Backed by Russian air power, government troops have breached IS's sieges, captured the strategic Jabal Thardah region and expanded their control to half of Deir Ezzor city, according to the Observatory.

Moscow intervened in Syria in September 2015 in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia's defence ministry said yesterday a demining unit comprising more than 40 experts and special equipment had been sent to Syria, adding that they will be sent to Deir Ezzor "in the nearest future".