Battle of al-Qaryatayn (2015)

For much of the Syrian civil war, which began in March 2011, al-Qaryatayn remained relatively neutral in the conflict. Town elders made agreements with both government forces and the rebels to stay out of the fighting. However, its location is strategic as it lies at a crossroads between the northern and southern parts of the country. Al-Qaryatayn has served as conduit for both sides. Rebels smuggle arms from the north to rebel fighters in Damascus, while the government uses the town to reinforce and resupply their forces in the north and west.[http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/04/2013424155751113111.html Neutral Syrian town drawn into battle]. Al Jazeera English. 2013-04-24. It has also been used as a corridor for defectors from the Syrian Army from across the country as highways from the northern, southern, eastern and western directions run through al-Qaryatayn.[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/20134260311612271.html Syrian defectors converge on central town]. Al Jazeera English. 2013-04-26.

In late May 2015, Islamic State forces captured Palmyra and the surrounding countryside after a large offensive.[http://www.newsweek.com/islamic-state-seizes-ancient-city-syrian-forces-334149 Islamic State Seizes Ancient City from Syrian Forces]

On 5 August, the Islamic State captured the town of al-Qaryatayn.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33806122|title=Islamic State 'seizes Syria town of al-Qaryatain' in Homs province|access-date=6 August 2015|work=BBC News|date=6 August 2015 }} This resulted in the deaths of 40 Syrian soldiers and 27 Islamic State militants.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} It was reported that Islamic State use deserts of Homs as launchpad for the attack on Al Qaryatayn and the master mind of this operation was an Islamic State Emir known as Abu Hassan Al-Khatami. Abu Hassan was killed in the battle and Islamic State renamed the battle after him as Battle of Abu Hassan Al Khatami in order to pay tribute to his services to the Islamic State.See ISIL video titled "Battle of Abu Hassan Al Khatami" on isdarat.com

On 6 August, The Islamic State group abducted 230 civilians, including at least 60 Christians from Al-Qaryatayn.{{cite web | url=http://www.rferl.org/content/islamic-state-abducts-dozens-syrian-christians/27175649.html | title=Islamic State Abducts Dozens Of Syrian Christians | date=7 August 2015 | access-date=7 August 2015}} {{anchor|Mahin}}{{anchor|Huwwarin}}Islamic State later advanced even further, capturing Mahin and Huwwarin by 8 August, thus pushing hundreds of Christians to flee persecution.{{cite web|url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/08/activists-hundreds-of-syrian-christians-flee-islamic-state-advance|title=Activists: Hundreds of Syrian Christians flee 'Islamic State' advance|access-date=9 August 2015|work=Syrian Observatory for Human Rights|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817060307/http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/08/activists-hundreds-of-syrian-christians-flee-islamic-state-advance/|archive-date=17 August 2015|df=dmy-all}} However, the Syrian military recaptured Mahin later after intense airstrikes and ground force attack that killed 20 IS fighters.{{cite web |author=Leith Fadel |url=http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-secures-a-syriac-christian-town-in-east-homs/ |title=Syrian Army Secures a Syriac Christian Town in East Homs |publisher=Al-Masdar News |access-date=2017-03-02 |archive-date=7 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607064208/http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-secures-a-syriac-christian-town-in-east-homs/ |url-status=dead }}

On 9 August, the SAAF bombed Islamic State positions in al-Qaryatayn, resulting in the deaths of around 30 Islamic State fighters as well as the destruction of seven vehicles and a rocket depot, according to governmental sources.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} On 13 August, SOHR reported fierce fighting between the SAA and Islamic State fighters in the area between al-Qaryatayn and Mahin and Huwwarin, when the Islamic State attempted to advance towards the two towns.{{cite web |url=http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/08/the-clashes-continue-in-sah-al-ghaba-and-al-qaryatain/ |title=The clashes continue in Sah al- Ghaba and al- Qaryatain | Syrian Observatory for Human Rights |access-date=2015-08-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818084556/http://www.syriahr.com/en/2015/08/the-clashes-continue-in-sah-al-ghaba-and-al-qaryatain/ |archive-date=18 August 2015}} The Islamic State briefly managed to capture both Mheen and Hawwarin west of Al-Qaryateyn city on 31 October in an attempted general offence on Sadad, before losing this territory 22–23 November.{{cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/23/syrian-army-re-takes-control-of-two-isis-held-towns-5520726/|title=Syrian army re-takes control of two ISIS-held towns |publisher=Metro |date=23 November 2015 |access-date=11 March 2016 |language=en}}

The SAA later recaptured al-Qaryatayn in the Battle of al-Qaryatayn (2016).

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Category:August 2015 in Syria

Category:Homs Governorate in the Syrian civil war

Al-Qaryatayn

Al-Qaryatayn (2015)

al-Qaryatayn