"Daesh militants attacked several army positions near al-Qaryatayn… The military managed to repulse the attacks, after which the terrorists fled to mountain gorges," the source said.
The source added that about seven days ago, the terrorists intensified their efforts in the area and made several unsuccessful attempts to storm positions of the government forces.
ISIL militants took control of al-Qaryatayn, located some 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) west of Palmyra, in August 2015. The terrorists had been holding 168 Christian residents hostage and threatened to execute prisoners if army and militia began storming the city.
For six months, the Christians were liberated in small groups, after which the city was surrounded by government forces backed by the Russian air support and liberated in early April 2016.
SPUTNIK/MNA
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