SYRIAN troops in besieged Deir Ezzor were hard pressed to hold off the last-ditch Isis bid to capture the eastern city yesterday.

On Sunday the extremists broke through army lines on the southern side of the city after three days of fierce fighting, capturing Umm Abboud hill and several points in the Panorama area between the city and its isolated airport.

But Isis was unable to fortify its positions and was forced to withdraw under heavy Russian air attacks.