45 IS militants killed in Syria

Damascus, June 20 :At least 45 Islamic State militants were killed in the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, a UK-based war monitor reported on Tuesday.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that most of the militants were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition, reports Efe news.The international coalition backs the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance that has been fighting against the IS since June 6 in al-Raqqa, the terror organisation's main stronghold in Syria since it established its self-proclaimed caliphate in 2014.

The SOHR said there were clashes between SDF fighters and IS militants in the neighbourhoods of al-Barid and al-Batani, in the western and eastern parts of the city, respectively.