Damascus, July 19 (TIWN) The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched a "security campaign" against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Deir al-Zour province, a war monitor reported.

The security campaign is ongoing in areas under its control in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, where the forces have set up checkpoints and run patrols, Xinhua news agency quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying on Saturday.  The UK-based watched group said the SDF released some of the protesters it rounded up during protests in areas in northeastern Syria after "beating them".