Islamic State (IS) militants have captured a village in eastern Syria in their offensive on a major military air base as fighting continued for the second day outside the contested city, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
According to CBS News, IS attempted to take one of Syrian President Bashar Assad's last outposts in a province that borders Iraq, said activists.
The observatory said that 30 government troops and 27 jihadists have been killed in the offensive that started early on Thursday.
According to a new militants posting, a militant commander in Syria pledged allegiance to IS and threatened to retaliate against the arrest of his wife and two children in Lebanon.
The threat underscores how Lebanon is being increasingly being pulled into the battle with IS that has captures large swathes of Iraq and Syria.