Deir al-Zor

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck eastern Turkey's Malatya province on Wednesday, the country's disaster and emergency management authority (AFAD) said, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

AFAD said the quake occurred at 10.46 a.m.(0746 GMT) with its epicentre in the district of Kale, some 40 km (25 miles) east of the city of Malatya.

Arab inhabitants of Syria's Deir al-Zor began a third week of pro-tests against the rule of YPG, the largest wave of unrest to sweep the oil-rich region since the U.S.-backed forces took over the territory from ISIL nearly 18 months ago, residents, witnesses and tribal figures said.

Syrian government forces and U.S.-backed militias converged on Islamic State in separate offensives against the militants in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zor on Sunday, reported Reuters. 

Syrian government forces advanced against Islamic State on Tuesday to reach troops surrounded for years by the jihadists in a government-held enclave in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, pro-Damascus media outlets and a monitoring group reported, quoted by Reuters.

With a sudden lunge through jihadist lines, the Syrian military  and its allies on Sept. 4 came to within three kilometres of relieving the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor, where Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has besieged an army garrison and 93,000 civilians for years. 

Russia's air force has destroyed a large column of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants on their way to the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor, killing over 200 militants, Russian news agencies cited Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Aug. 21.

 Russia's air force has destroyed a large column of Islamic State fighters on their way to the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor, killing over 200 militants, Russian news agencies cited Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Monday, Reuters reported.

Syrian state television said government forces fought their way into Palmyra on March 24 as the army backed by Russian air cover sought to recapture the historic city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.

The United Nations carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor on Feb. 24, U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said, delivering 21 tons of relief to civilians besieged by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.