IS militants seize central Syria town in new push

The Islamic State militant group is advancing in central Syria, seizing control of a town that lies near a main road leading to the capital, Damascus, and attacking another, reports said.

The capture of Mahin, in the central Homs province, and the push toward majority-Christian town of Sadad, marks a new advance of IS beyond its strongholds in northern and eastern Syria. The group had seized control of the ancient city of Palmyra in May and a neighbouring village.