Syria: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants capture key Syrian border town of Boukamal
The Al-Qaeda breakaway Islamic State of Iraq and Syria captured a key Syrian town near the Iraq border from other rebels on Tuesday and advanced toward a stronghold of its main jihadi rivals, an activist group said.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Boukamal fell to the militants early Tuesday following days of battles between the group and other factions led by the Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.
Activists in the area could not immediately be reached and calls to Boukamal and nearby areas were not going through.
The Observatory, which has a network of activists around Syria, said the Islamic State brought in reinforcements from Iraq during the fighting.