Dozens killed in Islamic State attack in central Syria

At least 30 Syrian troops and 20 Islamic State militants were killed on Wednesday when the jihadist group launched an attack on government-held areas in central Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The fighting was focused around the town of al-Sukhna, some 220 km (140 miles), east of the city of Homs. A Syrian military source earlier confirmed the attack, saying it had been repelled in some places while fighting continued in others.

The Observatory is a British-based organisation that gathers its information via a network of sources inside Syria.