Islamic State group attacks kill Syrian regime forces

Several members of Syrian regime forces have been killed in Islamic State (IS) group attacks in the country's north and east.

Syrian opposition-affiliated sources told The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that regime forces lost two members on Saturday in an attack on a military point in the desert in Deir Az-Zour province.

Another two were killed on Friday in an IS attack targeting a military point near Al-Masrab desert in Deir Az-Zour.

One further member of regime forces was killed on Friday and others were injured in an attack on a military point in a desert in Raqqa province, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's sources said.

Seven members of Syrian regime forces, including a first lieutenant, were killed this week in IS attacks in Homs, Raqqa, and Deir Az-Zour provinces.

Activist Abu Al-Baraa Al-Hourani told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that a member of the regime's Military Security Branch was killed on Saturday after being targeted by gunfire from unknown assailants.

He said the Military Security Branch member was performing his duties at a military checkpoint in southern Syria's Daraa province.

Syria was plunged into a devastating civil war in 2011 after a crackdown on peaceful anti-regime protests.

Syria's ongoing war has killed more than half a million people since it broke out.

It also led to the jihadist insurgency that birthed IS in its current form.

AFP and Reuters contributed to this report.