Syrian Army recaptures al-Qaryatain

AL-QARYATAIN, Syria, April 3 (UPI) -- Syrian forces have retaken the city of al-Qaryatain after driving out Islamic State forces in recent days. The success comes just a week after government forces regained control of the ancient city of Palmyra.

On Sunday afternoon, Syrian state television announced army forces fighting in al-Qaryatain had "fully restored security and stability after wiping out the last remaining Daesh terrorists."

Russia Today reported that Russian air strikes helped Syrian forces overtake IS troops.

According to The Independent, the retaking of al-Qaryatain -- like Palmyra -- is as much a symbolic victory as a strategic one. The small city is home to a significant number of Christians, though many were forced to flee as the presence of IS troops increased in recent months.

Al-Qaryatain, which lies 60 miles to the west of Palmyra, is centrally located between the northern and southern parts of Syria. Its positioning along the Damascus-Homs highway makes it an important conduit for the movement of troops, arms and supplies.

The Syrian Armed Forces expect the newly controlled city to serve as springboard for further advances into IS territory and towards terrorist strongholds in the east in Deir el-Zor and Raqqa.