Hawzah News Agency - The source said combat operations would accelerate towards the town of al-Sukhna, some 50 km from the administrative frontier of Deir Ezzor province, where ISIL has redeployed many fighters after losing ground in Syria and Iraq.

“Capturing al-Sukhna means opening the door and path for forces to move to Deir Ezzor directly,” the source told Reuters, adding that the military had captured positions 8 km southwest of the town on Wednesday evening.

ISIL is losing ground fast in Syria to separate campaigns waged by the Russian-backed Syrian government on the one hand, and to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and their allies on the other.

Army forces, backed by allied forces, have also been advancing against ISIL in Hama province and in southern areas of Raqqa province. Syrian Army forces have been approaching al-Sukhna gradually since capturing the ancient city of Palmyra, some 50 km away, in March.

“It is natural that combat operations escalate in this direction and take on a stronger and faster nature,” the source said, adding that ISIL had concentrated forces in al-Sukhna.