Beirut, Nov 24 (IANS/EFE): At least 40 members of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group have been killed over the past 24 hours in clashes and airstrikes in the Syrian enclave of Kobani and the province of Deir al-Zur in the northeast of the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Monday that at least 18 jihadis died in fighting against Kurdish forces in Kobani in the northern province of Aleppo.

The Kurds have advanced in the last several hours inside the city where they have managed to regain control of many buildings previously held by the IS, SOHR said.

Aircraft of the US-led international coalition launched at least five strikes on the radical's positions.

Meanwhile, at least 22 extremists died Sunday in Deir al-Zur.

Six of the dead were members of the religious police of the jihadi organisation, including two Saudis and one Tunisian, who died when an explosive device detonated as they were traveling through the town of al-Bukamal, bordering Iraq.

Thirteen other jihadis, mostly foreigners, were killed in air raids by Syrian government forces in the suburbs of Deir al-Zur.

Also three fighters died in an airstrike by the international coalition on a checkpoint in al-Bukamal.