Pro-government fighters sit in the back of vehicles brandishing their weapons and flashing the sign for victory in the central Syrian town of Al-Sukhnah, situated in the county's large desert area called the Badiya, on August 13, 2017 as they clear the area after taking control of the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Supported by regime ally Russia, Syria's army has waged a months-long offensive to recapture the vast desert region that stretches from the country's centre to the Iraqi and Jordan

How the Islamic State found a haven in Syrian desert

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Pro-government fighters sit in the back of vehicles brandishing their weapons and flashing the sign for victory in the central Syrian town of Al-Sukhnah, situated in the county's large desert area called the Badiya, on August 13, 2017 as they clear the area after taking control of the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Supported by regime ally Russia, Syria's army has waged a months-long offensive to recapture the vast desert region that stretches from the country's centre to the Iraqi and Jordan

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