Syrian fighter destruction
© REUTERS/Rodi SaidSyrian fighter walks the destroyed streets of Tabqa after SDF captured it from Daesh militants.
More than 60 Kurdish fighters were killed in a surprise attack made possible under the cover of a sandstorm.

Dozens of US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) troops, primarily Kurdish fighters, were killed in a Daesh terror group attack in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr province, near the Iraqi border.

According to a report by the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights (SOHR), cited by the Iranian PressTV website, Daesh militants conducted a surprise attack, killing at least 60 and wounding at least 100 SDF fighters.

In a statement published in the Telegram messenger app, Daesh took responsibility for an attack on the village of al-Sousa and a car bomb detonation near the village of al-Bagouz (al-Baghuz Fawqani).

The SOHR report says Daesh terrorists used a sandstorm to ambush the SDF forces, following up with explosives before opening fire in a surprise attack. "The fighters were advancing during a sandstorm, they were surrounded, Daesh members used explosives and opened fire," the SOHR said.

According to the Syria.liveuamap.com website, Daesh controls a small enclave on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, stretching from the town of Hajin on the north, to al-Sousa on the south.

Jordanian TV channel Al Hadath reported that while SDF liberated Hajin - the largest entity in the enclave, its main target - a second front was opened in September at al-Sousa, to increase pressure on the terrorists.

Syrian Democratic Forces are mainly active on the eastern side of the Euphrates River, fighting the remnants of Daesh, which has reportedly been driven from all urban strongholds both in Iraq and Syria. However, the Syrian government considers these SDF forces illegitimate militants acting without the consent of the central government.