The push into the town of Qaryatain dealt another setback to the ISIS extremists in Syria. Government forces currently secured the town of Qaryatain.The advance came a week after Syrian forces recaptured Palmyra from ISIS and is strategically significant for the government side.
"Activists said last summer that Qaryatain had a mixed population of around 40,000 Sunni Muslims and Christians, as well as thousands of internally displaced people who had fled from the nearby city of Homs."
Many of the Christians fled the town after it came under ISIS attacks. Dozens of Qaryatain's Christians and other residents have been abducted by the ISIS terrorists. While the town was under ISIS control, some were released, others were made to sign pledges to pay a tax imposed on non-Muslims.
While ISIS terrorists blew up and destroyed some of the world's most precious relics at Palmyra's archaeological site during their 10-month reign of terror there, the ancient Saint Eliane Monastery near Qaryatain was also bulldozed and destroyed shortly after IS took the town in August.
Christians make up about 10 percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million people. State news agency SANA said government forces were currently dismantling bombs placed by extremists inside Qaryatain.
The report said Syrian troops were fully in control of the town after "wiping out Daesh terrorists inside it."
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights referring little pocket of ISIS's fighting in eastern parts and southeastern areas of the town said "they are on the verge of collapse."
It is reported that terrorists have started withdrawing toward eastern parts of the mountainous Qalamoun region.ISIS has suffered major defeats in Syria over the past months .