The
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group have launched an
assault on the largely Kurdish city of Hasakeh in northeast Syria, a
UK-based monitoring group has said.
The attack on Saturday came a day after Kurdish militia executed 20 civilians accused of supporting ISIL, the the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"ISIL fighters started an assault on Hasakeh city and reached the city's southern periphery, where they are clashing with pro-regime forces," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
He said the pro-government National Defence Forces militia had blocked the ISIL advance on the city's edges and reported heavy shelling.
Syria's official news agency SANA said loyalist forces had "foiled a terrorist attack by ISIL on military points near Hasakeh".
Control of Hasakeh, capital city of the province by the same name, is split between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces.
Abdel Rahman said at least 10 government loyalists had been killed, but he had no immediate information on ISIL casualties.
'New attempt at seizing city'
The Assyrian Network for Human Rights activist group said ISIL had launched "a new attempt at seizing control of the city" and seized one checkpoint on Hasakeh's southwest edges.
"Hasakeh has been hit by mortar rounds since Saturday morning," and a local church had been damaged, the Network said.
The Britain-based monitor said Kurdish militia also burned and demolished homes of people it suspected of supporting ISIL near the flashpoint towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Tamr.
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Hasakeh have been battling ISIL fighters over a series of key towns in the province bordering Turkey.
The attack on Saturday came a day after Kurdish militia executed 20 civilians accused of supporting ISIL, the the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"ISIL fighters started an assault on Hasakeh city and reached the city's southern periphery, where they are clashing with pro-regime forces," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
He said the pro-government National Defence Forces militia had blocked the ISIL advance on the city's edges and reported heavy shelling.
Syria's official news agency SANA said loyalist forces had "foiled a terrorist attack by ISIL on military points near Hasakeh".
Control of Hasakeh, capital city of the province by the same name, is split between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Kurdish forces.
Abdel Rahman said at least 10 government loyalists had been killed, but he had no immediate information on ISIL casualties.
'New attempt at seizing city'
The Assyrian Network for Human Rights activist group said ISIL had launched "a new attempt at seizing control of the city" and seized one checkpoint on Hasakeh's southwest edges.
"Hasakeh has been hit by mortar rounds since Saturday morning," and a local church had been damaged, the Network said.
The Britain-based monitor said Kurdish militia also burned and demolished homes of people it suspected of supporting ISIL near the flashpoint towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Tamr.
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Hasakeh have been battling ISIL fighters over a series of key towns in the province bordering Turkey.
Source: Agencies