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.

Islamic State's double standards sow growing disillusion #MohammedSaad#GAZIANTEP#Turkeyhttps://t.co/QRuOi5uWV7pic.twitter.com/8Tf4TCEX9V

— 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 \u201ccriminal gang.\u201d 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/2WpJXpKbfN pic.twitter.com/i6FXO7obkq\u2014 The Genocide Report (@Genocide_Report) January 19, 2016 Reports claim ISIL controls the town\u2019s university and a military base in the nearby town of Ayash.", "dateCreated": "2016-01-20 11:04:57", "dateModified": "2016-01-20 11:04:57", "datePublished": "2016-01-20 11:04:57", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://static.euronews.com/articles/321763/1440x810_321763.jpg", "width": "1440px", "height": "810px", "caption": "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", "thumbnail": "https://static.euronews.com/articles/321763/385x202_321763.jpg", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "euronews", "url": "https://static.euronews.com/website/images/euronews-logo-main-blue-403x60.png" } }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Euronews", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/", "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/euronews", "https://twitter.com/euronews", "https://flipboard.com/@euronews", "https://www.instagram.com/euronews.tv/", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/euronews" ] }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Euronews", "legalName": "Euronews", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://static.euronews.com/website/images/euronews-logo-main-blue-403x60.png", "width": "403px", "height": "60px" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/euronews", "https://twitter.com/euronews", "https://flipboard.com/@euronews", "https://www.instagram.com/euronews.tv/", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/euronews" ] }, "video": { "@type": "VideoObject", "contentUrl": "https://video.euronews.com/mp4/med/EN/NW/SU/en/160120_NWSU_100A0-110808_E.mp4", "description": "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", "duration": "PT1M15S", "embedUrl": "https://www.euronews.com/embed/321763", "height": "202px", "name": "Syria: ISIL frees hundreds of hostages held in Deir-al-Zour", "thumbnailUrl": "https://static.euronews.com/articles/321763/385x202_321763.jpg", "uploadDate": "2016-01-20 11:04:57", "videoQuality": "md", "width": "385px", "inLanguage": { "name": "en-GB", "alternateName": "en", "description": "//www.euronews.com", "identifier": "en", "url": "//www.euronews.com", "inLanguage": "en-GB" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Euronews", "legalName": "Euronews", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://static.euronews.com/website/images/euronews-logo-main-blue-403x60.png", "width": "403px", "height": "60px" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/euronews", "https://twitter.com/euronews", "https://flipboard.com/@euronews", "https://www.instagram.com/euronews.tv/", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/euronews" ] } }, "isAccessibleForFree": "False", "hasPart": { "@type": "WebPageElement", "isAccessibleForFree": "False", "cssSelector": ".poool-content" }, "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "xPath": [ "/html/head/title", "/html/head/meta[@name='description']/@content" ], "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2016/01/20/syriaisil-frees-hundreds-of-hostages-held-in-deir-al-zour" } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Euronews.com", "url": "https://www.euronews.com/", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": "https://www.euronews.com/search?query={search_term_string}", "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/euronews", "https://twitter.com/euronews", "https://flipboard.com/@euronews", "https://www.instagram.com/euronews.tv/", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/euronews" ] } ] }
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Syria

Syria: ISIL frees hundreds of hostages held in Deir-al-Zour

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By Euronews
Syria: ISIL frees hundreds of hostages held in Deir-al-Zour

ISIL has released 270 civilians held hostage since the weekend assault on the Syrian government held city of Deir-al-Zour.

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.

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.

Reports claim ISIL controls the town’s university and a military base in the nearby town of Ayash.