On October 21, the Syrain Arab Army (SAA) and its allies retook the city of al-Qaryatayn from ISIS in central Syria. Government troops entered the city after a series of firefights with ISIS cells.
However, a lack of major clashes inside the city indicates that ISIS mobile groups had likely withdrawn from the city before the start of the storm. They still pose a significant threat to the SAA-held villages and towns in central Syria.