The Syrian army has been tightening its grip on the town of al-Sukhneh in the central Homs Governorate, retaking multiple positions from the Islamic State (IS) group, since it fully besieged the town on Saturday, Syria's state news agency reported on Sunday.
Syrian government forces and allied fighters sieged al-Sukhneh, IS' last stronghold in Homs, from three directions on Saturday, forcing IS militants to retreat towards the city center.
The progress is part of a wide-scale military offensive to drive out IS from the Syrian desert.
Capturing al-Sukhnah would enable the Syrian army to break the IS siege to the eastern province of Deir al-Zour near Iraq, as al-Sukhnah is located on the road between the ancient city of Palmyra and Deir al-Zour.
Deir al-Zour has been under IS control for the past three years and its liberation remains a top priority for the Syrian army this year.
However, the Syrian army's advance has been slow as it pushes towards Deir al-Zour from southern Raqqa and eastern Homs.
Sarikis Kassargian, a political analyst in Damascus, said the closer the Syrian army pushes to Deir al-Zour, the more resistance it faces, adding that the government forces are advancing as fast as they can to reach the contested city.