Following its capture of the ancient city of Palmyra , ISIS has now been forced out of the central town of al - Qarayatain , which it captured in August 2015 . The capture marks a boost to the fortunes of President Bashar al - din , and provides a central base for troops to target the areas that ISIS controls near the border with Iraq . Before the group captured the town , al - Qarayatain had a large Christian population , many of whom subsequently fled . A large number were also abducted and deported to ISIS ’ de facto capital , Raqqa , before being recaptured several weeks later .
Following its loss of the ancient city of Palmyra, ISIS has now been forced out of the central town of al-Qarayatain, which it captured in August 2015. The situation marks a boost to the fortunes of President Bashar al-Assad, and provides a central base for troops to target the areas that ISIS controls near the border with Iraq. Before the group captured the town, al-Qarayatain had a large Christian population, many of whom subsequently fled. A large number were also abducted and taken to ISIS’ de facto capital, Raqqa, before being released several weeks later.