Kurdish fighters advance against ISIL in Syria

Kurdish forces have made fresh advances as they are fighting a fierce battle against the ISIL militants in northeastern Syria.

Kurdish sources said on Monday that their fighters had captured more than a dozen villages in the province of Hasakah.

The latest round of fierce clashes between the two sides began on Saturday. The ISIL militants used various weapons to target the Kurdish positions.

Almost 20 civilians lost their lives during militant shelling on Sunday.

The latest developments come two days after the Syrian army conducted airstrikes on terrorists’ training camp in Hasakah, killing 17 militants.

The Syrian army has recently stepped up its campaign against the ISIL, carrying out air attacks on an almost daily basis.

Meanwhile, Syrian army forces have destroyed a key bridge used by the ISIL Takfiri militants in the east of the country.

Initial media reports say special units of Syrian forces blew up the bridge over the Euphrates River in the city of Deir al-Zor.

Syrian army officials say a number of terrorists were killed during the operation.

The bridge was of vital importance to the militants for moving supplies to eastern Syria.

The terrorists have seized much of Deir al-Zor Province, but parts of its provincial capital city are still controlled by government forces.

The province shares a long border with neighboring Iraq and is one of the most strategic militant strongholds.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011.

The Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are reportedly supporting the militants operating inside Syria.