Syrian rebels take control of oil-rich city Deir al-Zour | BBC News

Syrian rebel forces said they took control of the oil-rich eastern city of Deir al-Zour, as they try to secure the country's resources. Hassan Abdul-Ghani, a senior commander of the main Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said his fighters had liberated the city and its military airport. "Our forces have seized the entire city of Deir al-Zour," the rebels said in a statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) - a war monitor based in the UK - says that Kurdish forces previously controlling the city had withdrawn to other localities. Kurdish forces had taken the city after former President Bashar al-Assar withdrew his troops earlier in the week. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #Syria #MiddleEast #BBCNews