In Syria, an air strike killed at least 35 civilians, including family members of Islamic State fighters, in al-Mayadin, a town held by the jihadists near Deir al-Zor in Syria. <br/><br/>The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that yesterday evening air strike deaths bring the total number of people killed in two days of aerial bombardment in al-Mayadin to 50. Islamic State is losing ground in both Syria and Iraq under assault from an array of sometimes rival forces in both countries. <br/><br/>Many of its fighters who have retreated from other fronts are amassing in Syria's Euphrates basin area. <br/><br/>