Homs: Syrian troops push through deadly ISIS car bomb attacks to capture key hilltop near Qaryatayn

The battle for the oasis town of Al-Qaryatayn in central Homs province is heating up with besieged Islamic State militants now resorting to car bomb attacks to fend off pro-government forces.

In recent hours, confirmation came in that Syrian Arab Army troops captured the key hilltop of Tel Deker to the northeast of Al-Qaryatayn.

However, despite securing this important high-ground, Syrian forces are currently enduring a powerful ISIS counter-attack spearheaded by car bombs.

According to military-affiliated sources, Islamic State forces employed two car bomb attacks against pro-government troops near Tel Deker scoring mixed results.

The first car bomb was successfully destroyed by pro-government fighters before it reached their lines, however a second ISIS car bomb managed to slip past the army’s fire control perimeter and strike a military checkpoint, killing one Syrian Army soldier and wounding 3 others.

At the present time, there are no reports to suggest that pro-government forces have retreated from their new positions on and near Tel Deker, however the battle for the hilltop and the area around it is said to still be raging.