"Over 20 ISIL terrorists who wanted to escape to Idlib province in order not to take part in the battle with the Syrian army in the Western part of Raqqa were arrested by the terrorist group," the Arabic-language media quoted local sources as saying on Saturday.

The sources reiterated that the arrested ISIL militants are facing an unknown fate.

On Friday, the Syrian Army troops fended off ISIL's attacks their strongholds along a main road to Raqqa, forcing the terrorist group to retreat from the battlefield under heavy fire.

The ISIL's attacks on government positions at al-Rasafeh crossroad on the Ithriya-Raqqa road were fully repelled by the Syrian army men.

The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military equipment also sustained major damage in their unsuccessful assaults.

In relevant developments in the province on Wednesday, the Syrian Army troops and its popular allies, backed up by Russian and Syrian airstrikes, continued to advance against the ISIL in the Southwestern side of the town of al-Tabaqa in Western Raqqa and were only 5 kilometers away from the town, FNA reports.

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