ISIL has released 270 civilians held hostage since the weekend assault on the Syrian government held city of Deir-al-Zour. Daesh backers to blame for
ADVERTISEMENTISIL has released 270 civilians held hostage since the weekend assault on the Syrian government held city of Deir-al-Zour.
Daesh backers to blame for Deir al-Zour massacre: Syria https://t.co/qJgypBUto8pic.twitter.com/aXZpyl6fWc
— Press TV (@PressTV) January 20, 2016
The conurbation in eastern Syria has been the backdrop to fierce fighting between militants and forces loyal to President Basher al-Assad.
Scores of people on both sides have been killed with the massacre of civilians reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights most of those released are women, children and the elderly.
The rights group says that another 50 men have been detained and are being interrogated.
Isis kidnaps 400 civilians after conducting mass executions in Deir al-Zour raids https://t.co/dKznaM7dyBpic.twitter.com/JUTRsHDfhD
— IBTimes UK (
IBTimesUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/IBTimesUK/status/688693531490168833">January 17, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Mohammed Saad was released by ISIL in December, he detailed his time as an ISIL hostage saying he was hung up by the arms and beaten on regular basis until one day his captors cut him down along with his fellow prisoners. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"tw-align-center lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Islamic State's double standards sow growing disillusion <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MohammedSaad?src=hash">#MohammedSaad</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GAZIANTEP?src=hash">#GAZIANTEP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash">#Turkey</a> <a href="https://t.co/QRuOi5uWV7">https://t.co/QRuOi5uWV7</a> <a href="https://t.co/8Tf4TCEX9V">pic.twitter.com/8Tf4TCEX9V</a></p>— Trending ISIS News (ISISolizer) January 19, 2016
The reason; a senior Muslim cleric had arrived and told them not to torture the prisoners.
As soon as he had gone the beatings began again.
He described ISIL as a “criminal gang.”
The battle for Deir-al-Zour is ongoing with ISIL repelling a government counter-offensive in the south of the city.
ISIL captures new territory in eastern #Syria near the city of Deir Al-Zour https://t.co/2WpJXpKbfNpic.twitter.com/i6FXO7obkq
— The Genocide Report (@Genocide_Report) January 19, 2016
Reports claim ISIL controls the town’s university and a military base in the nearby town of Ayash.