The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group on Tuesday released 270 of an estimated 400 civilians, most of them women and children, who were kidnapped on the weekend in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, Reuters reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the freeing of the citizens but also said at the same time that ISIS jihadists rounded up another 50 men on Tuesday during raids on houses in areas seized during four days of fighting in the city.
Rami Abdulrahman, the Observatory's head, said that the group has kept male prisoners between the ages of 14 and 55 for more questioning.
"Those who they see have ties with the regime will be punished and those who (do) not must undertake a religious course based on the group's interpretation of Islam," he said, according to Reuters.
The kidnapping took place after an ISIS attack on Deir Ezzor on Saturday which killed at least 85 civilians and 50 regime forces.
ISIS, which controls of most of the province, has laid siege since last March to remaining government-held areas in the city of Deir Ezzor.
The Observatory said this week that the latest advance puts ISIS in control of around 60 percent of Deir Ezzor city, capital of the oil-rich province of the same name, which borders Iraq.