The Syrian army said in a statement Friday that defeating the Islamic State (IS) in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour constitutes the final stage of the complete obliteration of IS in Syria.

The army said the entire capital city of Deir al-Zour province is liberated from IS, following months-long operation to end the presence of IS in that key part of the country near the Iraqi border.

The strategic importance of liberating Deir al-Zour city emanates from its strategic location as it’s a hub linking eastern Syria with the central and northern parts of the country.

It’s also the main conduit between the Syrian desert region and the northeastern part of Syria, locally known as al-Jazeera area.

The army said liberating the city has also special importance as the city was the main stronghold for the commanders of IS, adding that by losing control over the city, the IS militants lost their command centers in Syria.

Now, the IS militants are besieged in the eastern countryside of the city, the army said.

The IS militants are still holding the key city of al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, near the Iraqi border.

Reports released Friday by the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said the army has become 40 km away from al-Bukamal, where IS has become almost besieged with the Iraqi forces capturing the areas the IS were controlling on the Iraqi side of the border.

Deir al-Zour contains key and largest oil fields as well as gas plants in Syria, and IS had been using such oil to secure the funds to its operations and fighters.

Now that the capital city of Deir al-Zour is liberated, and the army is haunting down IS toward al-Bukamal, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are fighting IS in the northern and northeastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Talal Silo, the SDF spokesman, said the group aims to capture areas in Deir al-Zour on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Liberating the city is the second major blow to the IS militants, after losing their de facto capital of Raqqa last month to the SDF.