Syrian government air strikes kill 15 people in east - monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government warplanes killed at least 15 people in air raids on a town in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The raids hit the town of al-Boulil, near a military airport. Four women and a child were among those killed, the British-based Observatory said. Syrian government forces have been fighting against Islamic State in the area. The jihadist group controls most of Deir al-Zor province and has laid siege since March last year to the remaining government-held areas in the province's capital, Deir al-Zor city. (Reporting by John Davison; editing by Andrew Roche)