IS believed to massacre 175 kidnapped workers near Syrian capital

DAMASCUS -- The Islamic State (IS) group is believed to have committed a massacre against 175 workers it had taken hostage in a town northeast of the capital Damascus, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported on Friday.

The 175 victims were among workers the IS had taken hostage in a sprawling cement factory in the town of Dumair northeast of Damascus.

A day earlier, the al-Mayadeen report said a total of 140 workers had fled the IS captivity in the cement factory, spelling no further details about their whereabouts.

Earlier reports said a group of rebels, who pledged alliance to the IS, were behind the attack on the factory and a nearby airbase in Dumair.

The Syrian army has repelled the attack on the airbase, but the IS still controls the factory. Dumair is divided between Islamist groups and the Syrian army.

State news agency SANA also reported the abduction incident, saying the Syrian authority is working on their release.

Still, the circumstances of the abduction and the fate of the workers are still murky, with no clear response from the government about the incident.