Syrian Army Captures Village from ISIL

The Syrian army seized a village from ISIL in western Syria, state media and a group monitoring the war reported on Tuesday, retaking territory in an area where the extremist group had recently advanced near a vital north-south highway.

The captured village, al-Hadath, is about 30 km (20 miles) east of the highway linking the cities of Damascus and Homs. ISIL was reported to have captured the nearby village of Maheen on Nov. 1

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said heavy clashes were under way between Syrian army and ISIL militants at Hawareen, which adjoins Maheen, Reuters reported.

A newsflash on state TV said government forces were successfully advancing towards Hawareen, Maheen, and Qarayatain, which ISIL seized from government control in August.