Syria rebels seize oilfield in Deir Ezzor: NGO

Syrian rebels seized one of the country's major oilfields in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Sunday, a first for the opposition, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Rebels in the Jaffar Tayyar Brigade took control of Al-Ward oilfield, east of the town of Mayadin, after a siege that lasted several days," the Britain-based watchdog said.

"This is the first time the rebels have taken control of an oilfield," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP by phone.