250 Syrians missing after IS attack east of Damascus: Residents
Around 250 Syrian civilians are feared kidnapped after an attack by the Islamic State (IS) militants group on a cement factory east of Damascus, residents told AFP on Thursday.
"We haven't been able to reach our family members since noon on Monday after an attack by Daesh on the factory," said a resident of the town of Dmeir, 50 kilometres east of Damascus, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
An administrator at the plant said 250 employees had been unreachable since Monday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "dozens" of staff were believed to have been seized by IS from the cement factory and taken to an unknown location.
The Badiyah cement factory lies outside Dmeir, which has seen fierce fighting in recent days as government forces have shelled IS positions inside the town.
The Observatory said 18 civilians were killed in government shelling of the town.
A Syrian security source told AFP that IS fighters had also tried to seize the nearby Dmeir airbase and power plant from the government but had failed.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
