Islamic State Takes Control of Syria’s Largest Oil Field
DAMASCUS (Worthy News)– The Islamic State seized control of Syria’s largest oil field, as well as two towns along the border, as a rival jihadist group withdrew from the region, Reuters reported.
The capture of the al-Omar oil field gives Islamic State control of crude reserves which could be useful to its advancing fighters, and underlines how the al Qaeda offshoot has eclipsed its militant rivals by capturing territory and assets across Syria and Iraq in the past few weeks.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Islamic State “took leadership” of the oil field from Nusra Front, the official wing of al Qaeda in Syria.
Nusra Front fighters also withdrew from two towns in Deir al-Zor on Thursday, leaving most of the border province under the control of advancing forces of the Islamic State, the Observatory said.
It said the Nusra Front pulled out of Mayadin and Shuhail, the group’s regional stronghold, while local tribal fighters had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which has also swept through Sunni Muslim provinces in Iraq. — Source