Syrian officials deny state’s last oil field seized by IS

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian government officials have denied that Islamic State fighters captured an oil field which a monitoring group reported had been seized from government forces, Reuters reports.

Talal al-Barazi, governor of Homs province, was quoted by al-Watan newspaper on Tuesday, September 8, as saying Islamic State fighters had seized five positions in the area of the Jazal oil field on Saturday, but these had since been recovered by the Syrian army.

A Syrian military official, speaking to Reuters, said: "They tried to take some positions but the attack failed."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, reported on Monday that the Jazal oil field near the ancient city of Palmyra had fallen to Islamic State, saying it was the last oil field that remained in state control. Islamic State captured Palmyra from government forces in May.

The Observatory reported late on Monday that clashes continued in the Jazal oil field and the surrounding area. The facility has been shut down after the government evacuated employees.