Syria backs evacuation deal for Islamic State militants at Lebanon border

BEIRUT: The Syrian army has agreed to a deal between Islamic State and Hezbollah that allows the transfer of Islamic State militants from the Syria-Lebanon border into eastern Syria, state media said on Sunday.

"After the successes our armed forces and (Hezbollah) achieved in the western Qalamoun ... the deal arranged between Hezbollah and the terrorist Daesh group has been approved," Syrian state television said, citing a military source.

It remained unclear whether the deal includes Islamic State militants only on Syria's side of the frontier or on Lebanese territory too.

A ceasefire took effect on Sunday morning in the Islamic State enclave straddling the border, where the militants have been fighting Hezbollah with Syrian troops on one front and the Lebanese army on the other.