Syrian forces liberate last major ISIS stronghold

The Syrian army and its allied forces have seized control of the Syrian town of Boukamal from Islamic State (ISIS) militants, state media and a monitoring group confirmed Sunday. Earlier this month, the army regained control of the city that lies along the Iraqi border, but ISIS recaptured the town in a counterattack. Syria’s SANA news agency confirmed Sunday’s victory and said the forces combed through the town in search of booby traps. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said a majority of the ISIS militants withdrew from the town but fighting continued along its perimeter. The latest battle leaves the militants in control of just strips of desert territory and a besieged pocket outside Damascus, the capital city. The terror group has lost swathes of territory in both Iraq and Syria in recent months. Iraqi forces on Friday said they liberated the city of Rajah from the militants’ control.