SYRIA accused the US yesterday of slaughtering 14 civilians in army-held Deir Ezzor.

National TV reported the US-led coalition had launched an air raid on the eastern city on the Euphrates river — where the four-year siege by al-Qaida and Isis was lifted last month.

But the US’s Inherent Resolve coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon denied the accusation and claimed it had not bombed the city.

Last year, the coalition killed some 100 troops in an hour-long air assault on army positions overlooking the city’s lifeline airport.

In the recently liberated town of al-Mayadeen, Tiger Forces commander General Suheil al-Hassan said that it “would need no less than six days” to remove a hoard of captured arms — enough to equip an army division — including US, British and Belgian-made weapons.

At a conference in the Philippines, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Isis now controlled less than 5 per cent of the country.

On Monday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the focus now was on preventing defeated terrorists “moving to other regions of the globe.”

And he repeated allegations of the US coalition allowing Isis extremists to pass through SDF-held territory in the north and south to attack government-held towns.