Syria army breaks years-long siege of Deir Ezzor airbase

Syrian troops broke the Islamic State group's siege of Deir Ezzor military airport Saturday, dealing a fresh blow to the jihadists who also face a new offensive from US-backed fighters elsewhere in the province.Oil-rich Deir Ezzor province borders Iraq and is a strategic prize for both the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Russian-supported government troops.Since 2014, IS has held swathes of the province and about 60 percent of its provincial capital, encircling two regime-held encla