Jihadist assault on Syria regime territory kills 74

BEIRUT, July 25 (AFP): An offensive by the jihadist Islamic State group against Syrian government-held territory has killed at least 74 people in the past 24 hours, a monitoring group said on Friday.

Buoyed by their capture of swathes of western and north-central Iraq last month launched multiple attacks on army positions across northern and northeastern Syria on Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first time that IS, accused by rival rebel groups of focusing its formidable firepower more on them than on the Damascus regime, had launched such coordinated assaults on army positions.

The jihadists went on the offensive near the main northern city of Aleppo, in Hasakeh province in the northeast and in Raqa province around their Euphrates valley stronghold, the Observatory said.

The IS, which in June announced a "caliphate" straddling Syria and Iraq, controls swathes of both countries and is seeking to seize more territory.

The Britain-based Observatory said at least 74 people were killed in clashes in 24 hours, mainly in Hasakeh and Raqa.

It said the toll included at least 32 jihadists, 30 soldiers and 12 members of the ruling Baath party of President Bashar al-Assad.