Dozens killed in Syria

BEIRUT: Clashes between Russia-backed Syrian regime forces and the Islamic State group have killed more than 40 fighters on the two sides in just 48 hours, a Britain-based war monitor said on Saturday.

Fighting and Russian air strikes in the central desert province of Homs since late Thursday have taken the lives of 18 pro-government fighters and 26 Jihadists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"The fighting started in the night of Thursday to Friday with a Jihadist assault on regime positions" near the town of Al-Sukhna, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.