Analyst: Turkish Forces Coordinated with ISIL in Attacking Al-Bab, Palmyra to Retaliate Defeat in Aleppo

According to Atwan, it seems that a big development is happening in Syria led by the US and its Arab allies “as they have been severely pressured by the victories gained by the Syria-Russia-Iran coalition in Northern Syria and Aleppo”.

The developments in Syria show that Turkey’s attack against al-Bab city is aimed at provoking Damascus and Moscow and heightening the terrorists’ weakened morale.

Atwan also referred to the ISIL terrorists’ aggression against Tadmur (Palmyra), and said that according to reports from Iraq and Northern Syria, the ISIL is collapsing but its attack against Palmyra proves that it is still being supported by certain countries.

“The first reason for such a claim is that the Iraqi forces’ operations against the ISIL in Mosul which had started two months ago have been faced with the terrorists’ strong resistance,” he said.

“Also, Ashton Carter, the US secretary of defense, has announced that his country will send 200 soldiers to Iraq and Syria to fight against the ISIL. Another reason is the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) statement on starting the second stage of Euphrates Rage Operation to capture the self-proclaimed capital of the ISIL, Raqqa.”

“The last reason is that the US congress has approved a bill to support the armed groups in Syria and Iraq,” Atwan added.

The ISIL carried out one more large-scale attack on government positions at the Eastern entrance of Palmyra on Saturday night. They took control of the strategic height of al-Tar in the Northern side of Palmyra and the village of al-Ameriyeh Northwest of the city. They further laid siege on the city.

As the ISIL terrorists were entering the Eastern districts of Palmyra, the army troops started to evacuate civilians from the city and transfer them to the T4 region and airport, but after arrival of reinforcements, the government forces carried out crushing attacks on the terrorists and retook some of the lost neighborhoods with the back of the Russian and Syrian aircraft.

The army men, fresh forces and the Syrian and Russian fighter jets inflicted major losses on the militants and took back the village of al-Ameriyeh and the Eastern neighborhoods of Palmyra. Yet, the army retreated from Palmyra on Sunday night.