Daesh attack kills 7 gov’t loyalists in east Syria — monitor

BEIRUT — Daesh  group fighters killed at least seven government loyalists in eastern Syria on Saturday, the latest in a series of deadly attacks, a Britain-based war monitor reported.

“Seven members of the National Defence Forces, a pro-government militia, were killed in clashes with a Daesh ‘sleeper cell’ in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Daesh gunmen wounded several other militia fighters, meaning the death toll may climb, it added.

The attack came as the militia fighters were sweeping the town of Al Shola for terrorist remnants, according to the monitor.

The region, near the border with Iraq, was formerly a stronghold of the group.

Last week, the observatory said Daesh gunmen in central Syria had ambushed a bus carrying government soldiers in the Wadi Al Azib area of Hama province.

The ambush late Sunday resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, four allied fighters and three civilians, the observatory said.

Last month, Daesh said it was behind a December 30 bus ambush in Deir Ezzor province, which killed at least 37 Syrian soldiers.