Islamic State attacks army-held areas in central Syria
Islamic State fighters launched an attack on Syrian army-held areas in Homs province overnight, a Syrian military source and an organisation tracking the war said, part of the group's efforts to expand beyond its strongholds in the east.
Syrian troops repelled the attack in places and were still fighting in others, the military source said. The British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were large numbers of dead but had no toll. Islamic State's targets included the town of al-Sukhna, some 220 km (140 miles) east of Homs city, the Observatory said. The military source said, "(The army) repelled the attack in areas, there are areas where it is still ongoing."
