Damascus, Jul 11 (IANS): Battles between the Syrian army and the Islamic State (IS) terror group have renewed in the desert region in the eastern part of the country, a war monitor reported.

The battles renewed in the town of Sukhneh in the remote eastern countryside of Homs province near the administrative border of Deir al-Zour, Xinhua news agency quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying on Friday.

The UK-based watchdog group said Russian warplanes were raiding the IS positions while the battles were ongoing with no reports on casualties yet.

On July 7, the observatory said the IS militants were launching attacks on the Syrian army positions in a triangle of areas combining countryside areas of Aleppo, Hama, and Raqqa provinces.

It said 601 Syrian and pro-government soldiers have been killed in the battles with IS militants in the desert since March.

It added that 256 IS militants have been killed as well.

After losing key areas across the country, the IS now has a presence in the Syrian desert region in Homs and Deir al-Zour.