On October 19, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies captured al-Marymla area and its mountains north of al-Qaryatayn town in the southern Homs countryside, according to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria.
The media added that Russian attack helicopters were supporting the SAA advance.
Syrian pro-government sources claimed that one of ISIS commanders in al-Qaryatayn town, Basam al-Dakhil (also known as Abu Abdullah Basha’ar) was killed by the SAA during the clashes north of the town.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition activists said that ISIS is forcing all civilians to stay inside their houses without providing them food or medicine. The activists also said that Syrian warplanes resumed its airstrikes against ISIS around the town.
So far, ISIS managed to slow down the SAA advance, mainly because many of ISIS fighters inside al-Qaryatayn town are originally from it, and know it very well. However, ISIS will for sure lose the battle for the town fully encircled by government troops.