Islamic State Takes Dozens of Captured Syrian Christians to Raqqa

According to reports from Syria, the group known as the Islamic State has destroyed a Christian monastery in Homs province and transferred dozens of captured Christians to its main base in Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, states that the self-proclaimed Islamic State forces have demolished a monastery in the town of Al-Qaryatain with a bulldozer. This strategic area in Homs, located in central Syria, fell under the control of the so-called Islamic State forces in recent weeks. Al-Qaryatain is near a road that connects the ancient city of Palmyra to the Qalamoun mountains at the Lebanese border. This mountainous region has been the scene of battles between the Shiite group Hezbollah, allied with Bashar al-Assad, and the Islamic State. Al-Qaryatain and its surroundings continue to be targeted by airstrikes from government forces. Reuters reports that Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the desert areas of eastern and southern Homs province following their capture of Palmyra. Despite ongoing attacks, Syrian government forces have yet to regain control of this area, which also contains one of the largest gas fields in the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights previously reported that Islamists had captured at least 230 people, including dozens of Christian citizens, in Al-Qaryatain. According to this monitoring group, as of August 20, 48 of those captured have been released, and 110 have been taken to the group's main center in Raqqa. Meanwhile, there is no news or report on the status of at least 70 others. The Syrian Observatory states that among those 70, there were 45 women and 19 children, and some were on the Islamic State's 'wanted' list. The Islamic State has a long history of killing non-Sunni religious groups and Sunni Muslims who oppose them.