Rebels Look to Take City in Eastern Syria

Deir al-Zor is in an oil-rich part of the war-torn country

(Reuters) - Syrian rebels are launching a major operation to take control of the strategic eastern city of Deir al-Zor after pushing out government forces from oil-producing areas around it, a rebel commander said.

If they seize the city, the rebels will control a whole province for the first time in the 22-month-old Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.