Syrian troopers carried out the special operation in the al-Omar oil field on the northern outskirts of the city of Mayadin, situated some 500 kilometers northeast of Damascus, on Saturday.

The al-Omar field has changed hands several times in the course of Syria’s four-year conflict.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people, according to reports.

Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. More than 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced, according to the United Nations.