More Than 60 Civilians Found Dead in Former ISIS-Held Town

More than 60 civilians were killed by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in a town briefly held by the group in Syria’s Homs province.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that ISIS overran the town of Qaryatayn, about 185 miles (300km) west of Deir Ezzor city, some three weeks ago and was driven from the area over the weekend by advancing government troops.

News of the gruesome killings began to emerge when scores of bodies were found after ISIS retreated.

An activist-run network known as the Palmyra Coordination Committee on Monday confirmed the names of 67 civilians who were killed during the period that ISIS held the town, the AP said. At least 35 of those dead were found dumped in a ditch. Homs province governor Talal Barazi told Reuters by phone that more than 60 were dead and some 100 others were reported missing.

ISIS accused its victims of collaborating with the Syrian government. The incident comes at a time when ISIS is losing large swathes of territory in Syria.

Russia’s defense ministry on Tuesday said that less than 5 percent of Syria remains under the control of the militant group, the AP reported.

More Than a Dozen Killed in East Syria Government-Held District

More than a dozen people were killed in an airstrike on a government-held district in Deir Ezzor city on Monday, Reuters reported.

Syrian state TV said that an air raid by the U.S.-led coalition killed at least 14 civilians and wounded 32 others in the Qusur district.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights did not confirm which aircraft executed the strike but it put the death toll at 22, Reuters said.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition, said on Tuesday that coalition jets had not carried out any air raids on the provincial capital, according to Reuters.

It remains largely unclear who is behind the attack.

Turkey Deploys More Troops in Northern Syria

A Turkish convoy of armored vehicles entered Syria on Monday as part of Ankara’s cross-border operation in Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

According to the monitoring group, Monday’s deployment was among the largest since Turkey announced the start of an operation to enforce a de-escalation zone agreement in Idlib earlier this month.

Armored vehicles carrying Turkish troops crossed near the Kafr Lusein border village, the SOHR said.

The report did not specify in what direction the convoy was heading but Turkish forces had previously established observation posts in areas overlooking the Kurdish-held region of Afrin, in Aleppo’s countryside.

The first convoy of Turkish military vehicles crossed into Syria on October 12.

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