403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
_44adb7fe-b63f-42fb-b9f8-6d91431b3ae3.jpg "Daesh bulldozes Syrian monastery moves dozens of Christian captives")
Daesh bulldozes Syrian monastery moves dozens of Christian captives
(MENAFN- Arab News) BEIRUT: Daesh militants have demolished a monastery in the central Syrian province of Homs a monitor said on Thursday in a strategically located town the terror group wrested from government control earlier this month.
The group has also transferred several dozen Christians captured during its offensive to a location near its stronghold in northeastern Syria the monitor said.
Militants used bulldozers to raze the monastery in the town of Qaryatain which they had captured in early August the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Government warplanes were still pounding the area with airstrikes two weeks after Daesh took the town the monitor said.
Qaryatain is near a road linking the ancient Roman city of Palmyra to the Qalamoun mountains along the border with Lebanon.
The hard-line militant group has been gaining ground in the desert areas east and south of Homs after it took over Palmyra last May.
The Syrian army has launched a large-scale counteroffensive to recapture the city which lies in a region where some of Syria's largest gas fields are located but so far it has made no significant advances.
Daesh militants captured 230 people including dozens of Christian families after taking Qaryatain the monitor reported at the time.
Of those captured 48 had been released and 110 were transferred to Raqqa province whose capital city Raqqa is the militants' Syria stronghold the monitor said on Thursday.
The Christians would be given the choice of conversion to Islam or paying 'jizya' a tax on non-Muslims the monitor said citing 'informed sources.'
The fate of the remaining 70 people captured after the seizure of Qaryatain was unclear. Among them were 45 women and 19 children including 11 families some of whom were on a militants' wanted list said the monitor.
Meanwhile Australia is considering a request from the US to extend its air campaign against Daesh in Iraq into Syria Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday.
Canberra using six RAAF F/A18 combat jets and two support aircraft based in the UAE joined the raids in Iraq but not the strikes on targets in Syria citing legal concerns.
Australia has also sent about 500 soldiers to serve as advisers in Iraq.
The group has also transferred several dozen Christians captured during its offensive to a location near its stronghold in northeastern Syria the monitor said.
Militants used bulldozers to raze the monastery in the town of Qaryatain which they had captured in early August the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Government warplanes were still pounding the area with airstrikes two weeks after Daesh took the town the monitor said.
Qaryatain is near a road linking the ancient Roman city of Palmyra to the Qalamoun mountains along the border with Lebanon.
The hard-line militant group has been gaining ground in the desert areas east and south of Homs after it took over Palmyra last May.
The Syrian army has launched a large-scale counteroffensive to recapture the city which lies in a region where some of Syria's largest gas fields are located but so far it has made no significant advances.
Daesh militants captured 230 people including dozens of Christian families after taking Qaryatain the monitor reported at the time.
Of those captured 48 had been released and 110 were transferred to Raqqa province whose capital city Raqqa is the militants' Syria stronghold the monitor said on Thursday.
The Christians would be given the choice of conversion to Islam or paying 'jizya' a tax on non-Muslims the monitor said citing 'informed sources.'
The fate of the remaining 70 people captured after the seizure of Qaryatain was unclear. Among them were 45 women and 19 children including 11 families some of whom were on a militants' wanted list said the monitor.
Meanwhile Australia is considering a request from the US to extend its air campaign against Daesh in Iraq into Syria Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday.
Canberra using six RAAF F/A18 combat jets and two support aircraft based in the UAE joined the raids in Iraq but not the strikes on targets in Syria citing legal concerns.
Australia has also sent about 500 soldiers to serve as advisers in Iraq.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment