IS militants launch counter offensive in eastern Syria

DAMASCUS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The ISlamic State (IS) launched a counter-offensive on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday with suicide bombers in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported.

Taking advantage of a sand storm that hit eastern Syria, the IS militants sent five suicide bombers, who detonated themselves during intense clashes between IS and SDF, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the battles were raging on the outskirts of the farmlands of Baghouz in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province, as the farmlands are the last IS-held areas in eastern Syria.

The battles raged recently as thousands of civilians and IS militants fled the last IS-held areas in Baghouz.

The SDF fighters are launching their last offensive to eliminate the remnants of IS in eastern Syria.

The SDF has been on a crushing offensive in eastern Syria against IS since last September.

The U.S.-led coalition IS backing the SDF in their push to eliminate IS from the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in eastern Deir al-Zour.