DAMASCUS - The Islamic State (IS) militant group killed as many as 280 people when its militants stormed a town in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Saturday, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

"A horrific massacre" was committed by the IS militants in the al-Bughailiyeh neighborhood in Deir al-Zour, where 280 people, largely women, children and elderly, were killed, said the report.

The IS attack on the neighborhood was carried out earlier on Saturday, with several suicide bombers blowing themselves up at government forces' positions, the TV said.

Syria's state news agency SANA also reported the mass killing, saying tens of people were massacred by IS in al-Bughailiyeh.

Meanwhile, the oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based watchdog group, said the IS snuck into al-Bughailiyeh earlier on Saturday, killing 75 government forces.

The IS attack on the neighborhood comes amid renewed battles between the IS and the Syrian military forces in several areas in Deir al-Zour, including the vicinity of the main airbase near the Iraqi borders.