IS seizes key town in Syria

IS yesterday seized a key town in central Syria after heavy clashes with President Bashar Assad’s forces, in the militants’ biggest advance since capturing the historic town of Palmyra in May, Syrian activists said.

The heavily populated town of Qaryatain lies southwest of Palmyra, which is home to towering Roman ruins, and 85km from Homs city. Its capture allows IS to link up areas under its control in and around Palmyra with areas in the eastern countryside of Qalamoun in Damascus province.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the IS group seized the town after three suicide bombers targeted army checkpoints at the entrance the day before, setting off a fierce battle.

Websites affiliated with IS confirmed the takeover of Qaryatain. A Facebook page through which IS posts news of its military activities carried photos that purported to show the fighting to “liberate” the town, including a tank allegedly seized from the Syrian army.

Qaryatain lies midway between Homs, Palmyra and Damascus. Activists say it has a mixed population of about 40,000 Sunni Muslims and Christians.