Syrian state media say the army has liberated the eastern portion of Deir el-Zour city from the Islamic State (Isis) group. The report on 3 November states the military is now in full control of the long-contested city.

Deir el-Zour had been divided into a government-held and an Isis-held part for nearly three years.

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Syrian government forces and their pro-government allies first broke the militant group's siege of their part of the city in September and have been advancing against Isis positions since then.

The development is the latest significant defeat for Isis as the militant group sees its self-proclaimed "caliphate" crumble and lose almost all urban strongholds.

The Syrian army and Kurdish-led forces backed by the US are now racing to take the rest of the oil-rich eastern province.

In another major blow to the group, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a US-led coalition – recaptured the city of Raqqa from Isis after months of fierce fighting.

Isis seized Raqqa in 2014, making it the Syrian capital of its self-declared caliphate.

Three years after its emergence, the group has been progressively losing territories in both Syria and Iraq, leading most of its members to break ranks and abandon the group.

Iraqi troops aided by a foreign coalition recaptured Mosul, Isis' stronghold in Iraq, this summer.

Deir Ezzor Syria Islamic State
Syrian government forces celebrate in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor on September 11, 2017 as they continue to press forward with Russian air cover in the offensive against Islamic State group jihadists across the province. Syrian army reinforcements arrived in Deir Ezzor for a new push against the Islamic State group, as a second day of suspected Russian strikes killed 19 civilians in the area. GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images
Syria Isis Islamic State Mosul