Moments ago, a military source from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) in Sadad reported to Al-Masdar News that the strategic town of Maheen in east Homs has been liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) after an intense two day battle.

According to the military source in Sadad, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Sadad, Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawks Brigade), and the Assyrian “Gozarto Protection Forces” (Sootooro) – overpowered ISIS’ last line of defense at Maheen, resulting in the town’s liberation.

With the recapture of Maheen, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and their allies have secured the Syriac Christian city of Sadad and they are within striking distance of the large Syriac Christian city of Quraytayn, which was captured during ISIS’ large-scale offensive in early August of this year.

Quraytayn will be the next target for this coalition of pro-government militias operating in east Homs; if they are able to recapture this aforementioned city in the Homs Governorate’s eastern countryside, they will be able to fight their way back towards the Tanf border-crossing into Iraq.

This will be no easy task, however; ISIS is deeply entrenched in the city of Quraytayn and their control over the highway that links ISIS’ primary supply line from Iraq to the Homs Governorate (via the Tanf border-crossing) also gives them this logistical advantage.