Syrian army presses Daesh

The Syrian army pushed into Raqqa province, home to the de facto capital of Daesh (IS) after a major Russian-backed offensive against the militants, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

The offensive is the third big assault on the self-proclaimed caliphate in recent days after Iraqi forces attempted to storm Falluja in central Iraq and a Syrian militia advanced with US support towards Manbij in the north near the Turkish border.

State media said on Friday the army had made territorial gains and inflicted heavy casualties on the militants.

Syrian army spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.