Islamic State (IS) militants have killed about 100 people in several attacks on government-held areas of southern Syria, including multiple suicide bombings in Sweida, a city located some 100 kilometers south of Damascus, a monitoring group and local officials said on July 25.
A local health official told a pro-Damascus radio station that the death toll climbed to 204 people killed and 180 wounded in total.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said 183 people were killed -- 89 civilians and 94 local militiamen. It said another 45 IS militants were killed in the clashes. IS said in a statement that it had killed more than 100 people in the attacks.
One of the attacks was a suicide bombing at a crowded market, according to the state news agency SANA. At least two other would-be suicide bombers were killed by security forces before they were able to detonate their explosives.
Syrian state television also reported that Islamic State (IS) militants attacked three villages northeast of Sweida.
Troops loyal to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have recently retaken territory in the area that had been controlled by rebels and are currently attempting to clear the area of IS militants.