SYRIA
How far could the dangerous endgame in eastern Syria go?
September 18, 2017 - Government forces and U.S.-backed militia are racing to control the oil-rich province of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria as so-called Islamic State militants continue to retreat from their former strongholds.
Fighters from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been advancing against IS fighters on the east bank of the Euphrates River, while Syrian government forces and their allies are pushing on the western side against the jihadists.
The U.S.-led coalition and the SDF accused Russian warplanes of bombing SDF fighters east of the Euphrates on Saturday, a claim Moscow has denied.