DAMASCUS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army has intensified its efforts to root out remnants of the Islamic State (IS) group in the central province of Homs and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the northern Idlib province, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday.
In response to recent IS attacks in the eastern countryside of Homs, the Syrian army has reinforced its checkpoints and military posts in the region and conducted combing operations to locate and eliminate IS members hiding in caves or other hideouts, al-Watan said.
Meanwhile, Syrian and Russian warplanes have conducted airstrikes on IS hideouts in the mountainous range and rugged areas in the desert region.
In the south of Idlib, the key bastion of the Nusra Front and its wider umbrella of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian army fired heavy artillery on rebel positions.
Idlib and the expansive desert region in eastern Syria are frequently targeted by radical groups who launch attacks against Syrian military personnel, posing a direct threat to government control and stability. ■
