MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Syrian forces have driven the Islamic State militants out of some villages on the eastern shore of the Euphrates River and are carrying out an offensive in the eastern direction, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"The storm troops of the Syrian army have driven IS militants out of a number of villages on the eastern shore of Euphrates and are carrying out an offensive in the eastern direction, broadening the foothold they seized," the ministry said.

The ministry said during the operation to take control of an area on the eastern shore of the river units of Syria’s government forces joined by units of the 4th tank division backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces crossed the Euphrates River near Deir ez-Zor using a pontoon bridge.