Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian air support drove Islamic State out of Palmyra last Sunday, inflicting what the army called a mortal blow to militants who had dynamited the city’s ancient temples.
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Syrian pro-government forces celebrate in al-Qaryatain, a town in the province of Homs in central Syria, after Syrian troops regained control of the town from jihadists of the Islamic State (IS).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting continued between Islamic State and government forces in al-Qaryatain, which is surrounded by mountains.
The skull and bones of a Christian saint believed to have been martyred in 284 AD for refusing to deny his faith have been uncovered in the Syrian town of Qaryatain, which was recently recaptured from the control of the Islamic State terror group.
The Nusra Front is considered a hard-line group that has crushed moderate rebel groups in northern Syria for their links with the United States.
“In military terms, al-Qaraytain can be said to have fallen to the regime forces since yesterday (Saturday) when they controlled the hills surrounding it”, head of the Britain-based watchdog Rami Abdel-Rahman told dpa.
Al-Qaryatain, whose name means “the two villages” in Arabic, was once a symbol of coexistence between Christians and Muslims and was a cherished pilgrimage site.
Dozens of Qaryatain’s Christians and other residents have been abducted by the extremists. The small city is home to a significant number of Christians, though many were forced to flee as the presence of IS troops increased in recent months.
A senior Al-Qaida official was killed in air strikes Sunday night that killed at least 21 other militants in Idlib province, a jihadist stronghold in northern Syria, according to monitoring groups.
The operation to recapture Hit was launched last week by counterterrorism forces, but their progress has been slowed by hundreds of roadside bombs as well as efforts to safeguard thousands of trapped civilians.
An Islamic State group rocket expert believed to have been involved in an attack that killed a US Marine has died in a drone strike in Iraq, a spokesman said Sunday.
The helicopters were operating between Palmyra and Al-Qaryatain, which has recently been liberated by the Syrian Army from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) control.
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Almost 80 percent al-Qaryatain is under government control, said the Syrian officers.
